The Eldest Todoroki
by Tweepa
Summary: Within an hour of putting his wife in a hospital, Endeavor calls his sister and asks her to help him raise his kids. She arrives, but doesn't like what she finds. The pro-hero's sibling overhauls his home life and makes drastic changes to the damaged Todoroki family.
1. Chapter 1

**_Spoiler warning!_**

 **Stop reading this fanfiction if you don't want a _potential_ CANON plot point revealed. I'm not going to say what it is, but you'll eventually find out! It has everything to do with the Todoroki family.**

 **I edited my work to remove the prologue chapter, because it was setting off my actual chapter count. Happy reading.**

* * *

 **Prologue**

Todoroki Teiko grew up in the middle of nowhere. Their mother and father had only married because of their strong quirks, the former's being control of earth, and the latter the ability to manipulate fire. As a result, the Todoroki home was a place their peers avoided. It was a rare day when all four of the hot tempered kin were settled. More often than not, there was some sort of fight or shouting match. Their parents slept in separate rooms. Teiko and her mother in one, while Enji and their father got the smaller cubicles of bedrooms to themselves.

Enji and Teiko were encouraged to fight one another, so they'd develop a better sense of their quirks. From the start, they were told they'd be heroes. Teiko was favored even more for having two abilities. She inherited both pyrokinesis and terrakinesis. They told her she was special and that she had a destiny for greatness. So of course, Teiko went the farthest possible route from the path set for her. She was accepted to UA, but turned it down to attend an agricultural school.

As for Enji, he took his acceptance with both hands. Though he hadn't succeeded in his home life, he had his biggest rival out of the way. His path was clear for him to become the number one hero.

Neither of them were particularly distraught when they were called to identify their parents' bodies. Enji was only fifteen. Teiko had been twenty. The hunks of mangled flesh and splintered bone before them looked nothing like a human, let alone their tormenters. The authorities wound up having to use dental records to confirm their identities. Neither child attended their funeral. As the eldest, Teiko inherited their plot of land. She looked out at the modest fields they'd used for training, the forest that bordered their home, and saw a good place to farm. She churned the soil and began a new chapter.

Though her childhood had taught her to be hard, her boarding school made her adjust her ways. She woke up to the fact that very few siblings had ever locked each other out of the house. Or worse, tried to set each other on fire. She became careful in what she said and learned to keep everyone at ease with her quick wit and a smile.

* * *

I

 ** _Spoiler warning!_**

 **Seriously, stop reading this fanfiction if you don't want** ** _potential_** **CANON plot points revealed.**

 **Some details will be changed from the canon series, but I aim to make these to make these relatively minute. Primarily, Shoto is going to be a part of his family. If you don't like it, then bye Felicia!**

Teiko was forty-one years old when she first met her niece and nephews. Enji called to say his wife had gone crazy and poured boiling water on their youngest, Shoto. At Enji's insistence that Rei wouldn't be getting better anytime soon, Teiko sold her farm and moved into city limits for the first time in her life. _There's so much,_ she thought to herself as she studied the hundreds of street lights, closed in buildings, and seemingly infinite streets and sidewalks. She got lost twice on her way to find the house.

Enji gathered the kids together and sat them like ducks in a row. They sat at the front door and waited for an aunt they never met. In their own way, all were curious. Shoto bounced in his place, naïve and excited to have an adult other than their father in the home. Toya, Fuyumi, and Natsuo were far more wary. If the new person in their house was anything like their father, they were screwed. It had only been Rei's sweetness that made the hell of a home bearable. No matter how large it was, they never seemed able to escape Enji's proverbial wrath.

The five of them stiffened when heard a noise outside the door, their eyes filled with trepidation. They watched her silhouette lean over and slip off its shoes. Teiko entered without knocking. Years of hard labor had made the 178 cm woman strong and physically fit. The shade of her hair, eyes, skin, and even the shape of her face mirrored her brother's. Her physique was capable, though not nearly as hardened with muscle. Slung across her shoulder was a modestly stuffed duffel bag. "Wow, Enji, your arms are as thick as tree trunks." She greeted her sibling first.

"That's what it takes to be a pro," he responded at once, his voice thick with arrogance. While Fuyumi was able to roll with their father's ego, Toya and Natsuo had to fight harder to suppress their rage. Instead of pursuing the conversation, he chose to introduce his children. "This is Toya, Fuyumi, Natsuo, and my crowning achievement, Shoto." He said as his finger pointed to each in turn. As he did, she set down her luggage beside the front door. "This is your aunt, Teiko. She'll be helping the nanny look after you while I work."

Fuyumi and Shoto gave small bows and Natsuo slightly inclined his head, but Toya's spine remained rigid. Teiko dropped down to her knees, which caused her long ponytail of hair to slip over her left shoulder and dangle past her collarbone. She looked at the kids from their level, her eyes serious, but nowhere near as cold as their father's. "I'm not here to replace your mother," she said simply. "I am here if any of you want to talk or receive guidance in any way." She caught that her words were too heavy for young Shoto to understand. "I'm also a pretty good storyteller, if you ever want a distraction," she added for his benefit.

"That's what TVs are for," Natsuo declared as snobbishly as he could. He was determined not to like anything that had to do with his father.

"That's true," she agreed readily enough. Natsuo tilted his head, a bit more interested. The fact that she hadn't held her opinion as doctrine made her just a smidge more endearing. "But none of them include stories of how I kicked your papa's ass growing up."

To hear an adult swear so casually was so alien to them that the siblings laughed. Even Shoto, who knew the word was basically forbidden, giggled. Teiko broke the ice as smoothly as she'd hoped. Enji glowered in the corner. "Don't swear around them," he demanded. "You're not in the middle of nowhere anymore, Teiko. If they start cussing like hicks, you're out of here."

"Fine. I trashed your booty. Is that really any better?" She countered.

Enji sighed. Almost at once, he regretted his decision to pull the bumpkin from her shack. He headed for the door, but stopped just before he left. "Call if there are any problems," he said to Fuyumi. Even at twelve, she was the most rational and compassionate of his brood. The sole daughter nodded in return and Endeavor left.

Just like that, the four of them were left with a total stranger.

Toya wanted nothing to do with her. He stood and walked up the stairs to their training room. He turned on a radio in the corner and began to work his way through practices. The heavy bass of his song rumbled into the house below.

Natsuo considered joining him, but was interested in what Teiko had to say. "Exactly what are those stories?" He pressed.

Fuyumi gently nudged the white haired boy in his ribs. "That's rude to ask," she declared with a frown far too mature for her age.

"What? She's the one who offered!" Natsuo countered loudly.

 _Oh great, we have another yeller. Thanks for passing_ _ **that**_ _trait on, Enji._ "I'll tell some at dinnertime," she promised. "I'm sure Toya wants to hear them." She rose and offered her hands to Fuyumi and Natsuo. The former accepted the grasp easily enough, though the latter paused before taking her palm. Both were pulled not only to their feet, but lifted up off the ground. Fuyumi laughed in surprise and Natsuo clung on tighter. "I won't drop you," she promised.

"It's not dropping I'm worried about," the boy declared with a thick voice. He was clearly straining from the strength of his hold.

"Or throw you," Teiko added. "Unless one of you whippersnappers challenges me to a fight, I'll never harm you."

All three of the youngsters dropped their eyes. _Wait… he can't be._ She had to ask. "Is Enji…?"

She let the silence finish her inquiry as she lowered them back to the ground. An awkward pause filled the room. Fuyumi felt it her place to clear the air. "He's never hit me. But everyone else...yeah," she finished quietly.

" _Everyone_ else?" Teiko sought to clarify. The anger that sparked in her eyes was so reminiscent of their father that both the little bodies clinging to her arms winced reflexively. The farmer set them down, her lips creased in a severe frown. "Rei, too?"

Fuyumi wouldn't rat him out. Though he was a prick, he was still the man who raised her. She felt it was her duty to remain quiet. Shoto was too young to have such reservations. "Yeah," the quiet boy said. "He hit Mom, too." The youngest was still upset at losing his mother. _Maybe she can put Dad in a hospital and bring Mom back_.

Teiko forced herself to find some calm thought in the storm of her mind. They were all fed, clean, and dressed. That was several steps up from how she and Enji were raised. The woman drew in a quiet breath and released a long, near-silent sigh. "He's hit you both for the last time," she directed her words to the brothers. "Don't worry about that anymore." _What a mess. It's a miracle they're not all avoiding me. Only Shoto seems physically injured, and I know that wasn't Enji's doing._

It was a Monday, so the three oldest kids were supposed to head off to school. Fuyumi and Natsuo got themselves ready and headed off to their shared middle school. Toya made no signs of exiting the room. His songs continued to play and Teiko could hear the falls of his feet as he moved about. She'd never had kids before and wasn't quite sure she wanted to tackle the problems that came with the teen, so she addressed Shoto. "What do you normally do while they're gone?"

The dual toned boy had bandages still wrapped around his left eye. She didn't know how much he could do when so damaged. "Well," he began, "Mom and I watched lots of TV. If Dad was home, then I'd have to train," the second sentence was muttered like it was a secret.

"Those are things you did with your mom and dad. What should you do with your aunt?" Teiko saw the excitement in his eyes.

"Do I get to pick?"

"As long as it's legal," she clarified with a grin. While they talked, the door opened, but she made herself not look. Giving the eldest son any attention might spook him away. The beats boomed louder and choice rap lyrics echoed through the house.

"Can we go to the park so I can play with other kids?"

With all the freedom in the world, he chose something simple. Teiko wondered if he wasn't allowed to go out. "Is it illegal?" Maybe most six year olds had such small ideas. It could have been perfectly normal.

"Uh….I don't think so." He paused to think. "….no?" Shoto stared at his aunt and wondered if she was trying to trick him.

"Nope, it's not," she confirmed. "Let's go."

Toya slipped back into the room and turned off the deafening screaming and strode down the hall until he'd rejoined them on their level. The fourteen year old had enough sweat on him to plaster his red hair to his head. A white towel curled lazily from his neck, each end covered the tips of his collarbones. He didn't say a word, but joined Teiko and Shoto in sliding their shoes on.

Teiko had no idea where to go. "Which way is the park?" She asked Shoto, leaving her statement open if Toya wanted to lead. "Uh, I don't know," Shoto mumbled. "I've never been there before."

"It's this way." Toya set off with purpose.

Their destination was only two blocks away. Other mothers sat and watched as their tots climbed on the jungle gyms. Some tykes were too young to have manifest their quirks, while others were all too happy to show off. Shoto froze the slide and slid down with an extra burst of speed.

Teiko sat on a bench and Toya leaned on a tree a couple meters away. The farmer treated Toya like any wild animal. She didn't look at him or speak to him. In the end, the trick always worked. She didn't give him any reasons to run. A natural curiosity drove him to try for conversation. "You know I'm supposed to be in school, right?"

 _Has he been waiting for me to yell at him?_ "I can sign a note that says your grandma died." She said with a rather indifferent shrug. Toya couldn't help but stand a bit straighter.

"Did she?"

"Brutally," Teiko confirmed. Her laidback tone was as shocking as it was endearing to the young man.

"…did _you_ do it?"

Teiko didn't look, as she had her eyes on Shoto, but her laugh showed him she was listening. "I don't do hero or villain work. I just grew the food."

"So you're quirkless," Toya said, his tone dismissive. Suddenly, if she'd lost any appeal to him.

"I am?" she made sure to sound concerned, as if she'd missed something.

He didn't like feeling like a fool. It took him a minute of silence before he answered. "Then what are your quirks?"

"I'll tell you at dinner, as well as any stories you and your siblings want to know. It's important to eat as a family."

Toya crossed his arms and glared at the ground. He was frustrated that he'd have to wait. With his father, there was always a sort of instant-gratification. He'd ask something. If it was refused, there was instant punishment. Nobody ever had to wait for anything under his type of parenting. "I don't trust you with my little brother."

Finally, she shifted her head to peer in his general direction, but not at him. "Your brothers and sister told me what your home life has been like. Your dad has hit you for the last time. I'll be having a talk with him, after dinner, and setting a few rules."

"What if he doesn't like what you say? What if he decides to beat _you_ up?"

"Then keep the little ones back and watch closely."

Toya snorted. "He's the number two hero. You can't be _that_ arrogant to think you can beat him."

"Sure I can. It's a family trait."

* * *

 __ **For anyone that read my other work, Toshinori's Todoroki, yup, this is the same Teiko! This time I'm operating under the assumption that she never met All Might. She never had to become a tragic lesson for the hero about pride, and she can live on. Now she gets to share her lessons for the Todoroki clan! Like it, hate it, somewhere in-between, leave some reviews for me. I'm writing this no matter what anyone thinks, but it still is nice to hear some feedback.**

 _Ages in Manga/Show: Teiko, 51. Enji, 46. Rei, 45 ( **guess** ). Chizome Akaguro, 31. Toya, 24 ( **guess** ). Fuyumi, 22. Natsuo, 19. Shoto, 15._

 _Fanfiction Ages: Teiko, 41. Enji, 36. Rei, 35 ( **guess** ). Chizome Akaguro, 21. Toya, 14 ( **guess** ). Fuyumi, 12. Natsuo, 9. Shoto, 5._


	2. Chapter 2

**II**

 **Spoiler warning!**

 **Stop reading if you don't want any _potential_ CANON plot point(s) ruined.**

 **Let me say that there was _way_ more material than I expected for My Hero Academia. At first I** _think_ **I found** **one unpublished connection, now I think I have at least two or three more, and they're big ones. I'll be writing my story based on the assumption that I'm right. I have watched all of the episodes from the show and read all of the manga chapters for the main series, but then I discovered the Vigilante series. I'm making a valiant attempt to get most, if not all, of my facts correct, ages aligned, and stories meshed as neatly as possible. To any die-hard followers, they may note that I removed Fuyumi's tag and replaced it with some guy called Chizome. Superfans, you know that means… Not this chapter, but he will make a debut in a very large way.**

* * *

The trio went from the park to a small fast food joint, as chosen by Toya. Shoto marveled at the burger and stared in awe at the ice cream machine. To the boy, everything was an adventure. Teiko watched them carefully as they took her around the quiet city. Through the teenager she learned the local hang out spots and all the best restaurants. Even though it was Shoto's first outing, he was quick to pick up on the locations of toy stores and movie theaters. "Ohh! Look at that one!" He declared with interest. Teiko followed his eyes and saw an adult book store flashing on the other side of the street. "Maybe in a few years," she chuckled. Shoto began to question why he'd have to wait, but Toya offered a suitable distraction.

"Fuyumi and Natsuo will be home soon. Don't you want to be there to greet them?"

"Oh yeah! Let's go!" Even with bags of toys weighed down on his arms, Shoto shot home with the speed of a startled rabbit. The adult and teen swiftly walked after him. The former with groceries on her arms and the latter with a new comic book in hand. Thus far, Toya couldn't find a reason _not_ to like his aunt. She let them do what they wanted, as if she trusted they'd make good decisions on their own.

"Hang on, Shoto," she said firmly. Toya tensed. Was she finally going to snap?

Teiko lifted her hand. Shoto winced and Toya leaned forward. Teiko gently set her palm on the lad's shoulder. "Look both ways before crossing," she instructed. "If you don't, a car might hit you." In that moment, Toya was convinced that Shoto was safe with their newest guardian and fully intended on returning to school the following day.

The trio finished their walk without any problems. "Fuyumi! Natsuo! Welcome home!" Shoto called as he rounded the corner. They managed to arrive just as the white-haired siblings were about to open the door.

Fuyumi spun around, a look of surprise on her face. "Hey, Shoto!" She seemed to wrestle with joy at her littlest brother's excitement and concern that he was out of the house. "Aunt Teiko, did you ask Dad if—"

Teiko lifted her hand to stop the girl. "The answer to that will _always_ be no. I'm not going to try to get little brother's permission for anything."

Natsuo grinned as only a nine year old could. "Badass!" He grinned.

"New rule. Whoever cusses most in the day has to clean the dishes." Teiko declared.

"Or else what?" Toya asked, his voice dark with a challenge.

Teiko paused. "I don't know. I'll put them on your bed or something." The answer was so nonviolent that none of the kids were sure whether or not she was being serious.

"I can do the dishes," Fuyumi declared.

"Nope, you've got to cuss to get to do them," Toya said with the shadow of a grin on his face.

"Ass!" Shoto squeaked. Suddenly, cleaning sounded like fun. They all turned to look at their youngest sibling. Though Fuyumi was mortified, his brothers' and aunt's smirks encouraged him. As one, the family laughed. It was the first true moment of joy they'd had in a very long time. They all filed into their home and went about their individual activities. Shoto watched cartoons, Toya took a shower, Fuyumi and Natsuo did their homework, and Teiko made dinner.

At five o'clock, they sat down together for dinner. Tonight's meal consisted of teriyaki salmon, steamed rice, broccoli, carrots, and mushroom udon. They sat obediently and waited until it was 5:01. "He's late," Teiko declared and lifted her chopsticks. "Time to eat." There was no point waiting for a pro hero. They could get kidnapped, hospitalized, or die on any given day.

Fuyumi turned to Toya. "Why didn't you go to school today?"

"My grandma died," he responded at once. He grinned at Teiko, he smirked into her bite of rice.

"What? How come I didn't know," Natsuo asked.

"Grandma didn't die," Fuyumi said sharply. She didn't buy the excuse.

Teiko decided to interject. "Grandma did too die. It was twenty one years ago, but she's still as dead as ever. Toya just wanted to make sure I knew where everything was so Shoto and I wouldn't get lost."

That reason seemed to hold up with Fuyumi, but only barely. "Do you think you have your bearings, Aunt Teiko?"

"I think Shoto and I have a good enough foundation to figure everything else out. What do you think, Sensei Toya?"

"Yeah, you pass."

Shoto grinned and looked between the conversation's participants. He was as giddy as can be. For the first time, he was allowed not only to sit at a table with everyone, but talk and interact with them. His feet wiggled excitedly and he bounced in his seat. "Can we hear some of those stories?" He nearly pleaded.

"Sure," Teiko said. She set down her chopsticks and began her tale easily enough. "Just the one, tonight. If I run out of material, you guys might stop coming to dinner." She began. "Once upon a time two young adults, your grandparents, entered into matrimony. Together, they had two little gingers. Their first child, a daughter, was everything they wanted. Right off the bat, they had perfection." She puffed up her chest and smiled. The kids laughed through their food. "They knew that their genetics were supreme. Here was their perfect little girl for proof. Five years later they had a son. He and the daughter looked like twins. The parents _knew_ their son would be just like the daughter." She paused and sipped her soup for dramatic effect. All of them watched her intently. Even Shoto sat still.

"I developed two quirks at an extraordinarily young age. By the time I was ten, I had above average control of them both. Your father's one quirk, which he likes to call hellfire, didn't manifest until he was five. It only came out when our father was beating him for having a 'no good, quirkless waste of space' as a child." Her audience was perfectly silent.

"….so…your dad beat my dad?" Shoto asked, as simply as someone so young can.

"My mom and my dad beat me and your dad. I got frustrated and I'd beat your dad, too. Until he attended UA, he didn't have anyone to beat back."

Fuyumi, at least, was sympathetic. "That must have been hard."

Teiko turned to regard her niece. "On the contrary, it was incredibly easy. We operated like a pack of wild dogs. Whoever was the strongest got the best things. What was hard was adjusting to life outside our hell hole. My first day of school, I broke a girl's nose for trying to cut in line. Apparently all she wanted to do was stand with a boy she liked. The hard part wasn't smashing her face, but thinking of how to apologize later. I had a few slip ups where I wanted to get physical with people, but one of the upperclassmen took it upon themselves to be my conscience. It's only because of her hard work with me that I was able to break my bad habits."

Natsuo spoke next. "So you're here to teach Dad how to use his words?" His tone implied instant defeat. _She'd have better luck catching smoke._

"Not just his words, but also his actions. I'm going to warn you guys, he'll hate it. The first month is going to be the hardest. He'll fight me at every possible opportunity, but know that he won't win against me. I'll make sure never to leave _any_ ," she looked at Fuyumi, who seemed to think herself immune to her father's rage, "of you alone with him. If he's home, I'm home." The children had most of the food eaten. Sparse amounts of rice and fish littered their bowls and plates. "Alright, dish buddies," she pointed to Natsuo and Shoto. "Let's get going."

While they worked, Shoto told Natsuo all about the cartoons he'd seen. Natsuo made a few suggestions for other programs the lad might like the following day. Shoto nodded seriously, as if he wanted to commit all of them to memory. "Aunt Teiko, do you really have two quirks?" The littlest boy asked.

"Sure do, Shoto." She could feel Fuyumi and Toya listening from the next room.

"What are they?" He encouraged.

"You'll find out one of these days. I promise to do it over dinner, so everyone can hear together." She expected him to be sad or mope. As she glanced sideways at her littlest nephew, all she saw was a look of delighted determination. **  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**III**

 **Last spoiler warning!**

 **Stop reading if you don't want any _potential_ CANON plot points ruined. I looked through all the public works and made some theories on the Todoroki family. I'm not sure if I'll write all the way until the magna timeline, but I do have stories in mind to develop the Todoroki gang from angry victims or Super-Bad-Dad (Endeavor) into the more reasonable human beings we see in the series. Thank you to those that leave comments – know that I read every one and take them all into account. Know that most of your questions have already been addressed and that your minds are too quick for my posting speed.**

* * *

Shoto went to bed first and Fuyumi followed an hour later. Natsuo and Toya stayed awake and waited for their dad to get home. _There's no way she can beat him_ , Toya told himself. _Even with two quirks, Dad is the number two hero. He has way more combat practice. He's logged hundreds of hours of fighting. Farm work isn't the same. It won't strengthen your reaction time or give you battle instincts._ He told himself every logical reason as to why he shouldn't get his hopes up. For all her talk, Teiko was going to fail.

The sounds of approaching feet had Teiko nod to the boys. "If you want, you can listen," she tells them both. "Go upstairs, keep out of sight and don't say a word. No matter what you hear, don't come down." They scampered to obey. Toya paused at the top of the landing and cast one last look over his shoulder. Teiko waved him on. _It was nice to see you without any bruises._ He thought as he moved just out of her eye line.

When Todoroki Enji entered his home, he set his freshly removed shoes beside Teiko's duffle bag. "You didn't pick a room," he noted. "Does that mean you're not staying? You can't handle a couple of kids?" He instantly assumed the worst and attacked with an equal mix of condescension and frustration.

"Nah, they're good kids. I'm staying for as long as they need me." Enji snorted, but seemed satisfied. "Shoto and I went out and looked at the sights."

 _She's lying to Dad to cover my ass._ Toya felt a surge of guilt and gratitude. When his aunt lost the fight, it'd be one more thing Toya _and_ Teiko would have to pay for.

Enji had begun to cross the room, but he paused. "You _what_?" He demanded. "You took my crowning achievement and took him out into the world?" That's all it took for his rage to ignite. His small moustache of flames rose higher in his anger. His ox-like frame rounded with fire blazing.

Teiko didn't even stand. "What achievement? You probably raped your wife and signed a few documents nine months later. She's the one that grew, birthed, and nursed him. You put in the same amount of effort as you did with your other three children."

 _Get up, idiot! If you want to stand a chance, you have to be on your feet._ Toya knew from experience that the opponent always lost if they started on their butts.

Enji stormed across the room and tried to grab his sister by the throat. She slapped him neatly away. In the same movement, sand sprayed towards his face. It had been decades since he last saw the trick, yet Enji still expected it. He set his blaze just large enough to block the attempt. "You've never had children, you can never understand," he growled. His arm reached forward and he clasped his hand on her chin, which left her no choice but to stare at him.

"You've never had children either, idiot. Men don't work that way."

"I could snap your neck," he snarled. "He's only excellent because of _me_ and _my_ training. In any other family his potential would be wasted!" Shoto's door slid carefully open. _Dad's shouting must have woken him up._ Toya lifted his finger to his lips and shook his head softly. _Don't talk_.

"What if I told you my phone was on and was recording this entire conversation on a livestream."Tieko reached her hand up to grab his loosened fingers and pull them away. "Endeavor, the flame hero, a coward. That would make a nice title, wouldn't it?" Enji threw the first punch, but she was ready. Precise, needle thin gems punctured his flesh. Toya heard a sharp and undeniably masculine groan of pain.

 _She got a hit in?_ As one, Toya and Natsuo peered their heads around the corner. Enji's back was to them and Teiko was too focused on her brother to pay the children any mind. The siblings watched as their father pulled a six centimeter spike from his flesh. Blood dripped on the floor. _She didn't even move._ Toya couldn't help but be impressed. "You forgot to light them on fire," she sighed, as if she were the instructor and the infuriated man her student. "All you did was turn it into glass."

 _Glass?_ The shining object wet with his father's blood glinted in the downstairs lights. _Did she do that? Or did he?_ Toya watched as the thin senbon disintegrated into nothing. Teiko lifted her phone. She mimicked the paparazzi so carefully as she held the device in his face, all while making sure she had it firmly in her grasp. "So, Endeavor. Tell the world. Are you going to let your crowning achievement see the world?"

"You'd do this to your own brother?" He snarled, his eyes widened with hate.

"Yup, sure would. I'll bury you in the front lawn and put up a sign that says _kick me_ if you really want to revisit the things I'm willing to do to you." She knew she'd won. The red head slid neatly to her feet. Toya felt immense satisfaction when his father took a step backwards. _She coerced him._

Enji finally complied. He stared at the mobile like it was a bomb. "Of course I'll let Shoto go outside. What kind of father wouldn't?"

Teiko grinned. "Precisely." Her hand dropped back to her side.

Shoto looked ecstatic. Tears of pure joy welled in his eyes. Toya quietly crept over to his youngest brother to share in a near silent fist-bump. Natsuo bounced from behind the wall. " _I can't believe it!_ " He whispered with unbridled enthusiasm. The odds before had seemed insurmountable.

"Huh?" Enji turned his head and glared at the children. "Get back to your rooms!" He didn't want to address the elephant in the room, that they'd heard him admit defeat. The trio scurried, as ordered, and snapped their doors behind them.

Just this once, Teiko let Enji have his way. She chuckled as they scurried off.

Toya sat on his sheets for a long time. His mind filled with thoughts and heart full of desires he'd dared not even dream. For the first time, he saw that a hero could exist without a spot in the ranks. Teiko didn't have a license, but she had saved them all from their personal hell. Not only would he go to school tomorrow, but he'd stand up tall while he did it. Eventually, he drifted off with hopes for a brighter future.


	4. Chapter 4

**IV**

Teiko gestured for her brother to have a seat. "We're going to be here a while. I'm going to lecture you on what you've made of your life and you're going to listen, or I'll sell your story to every last journalist I can find. I'll give them pictures from our youth, _especially_ the one where you're hanging upside-down from a tree by your ankle."

Enji resisted, as expected. He folded his arms. "I'm fine right where I am, thanks. You don't have anything to tell me. You're the queen of mistakes. You never found anyone who would marry you, so you never had kids of your own. It's easier to parent when you've only done it for a day."

"I'm not their parent and I'm not going to try to be," she said coolly. "From now on, you can only train your kids under two conditions. Firstly, and most importantly _they_ have to ask _you._ Secondly, Mom's rules." They both knew what that meant. No shots to the head or groin, permanent disfigurations, or home damage. Mom's final rule was, 'if you fight in the house, I'll kill you!' but they generally didn't adhere to that last one.

He glowered with such precision that his lips narrowed to a near invisible line. "And who will train Shoto?" he demanded. "He's not some decoration to put on a shelf. He's a weapon that must be honed and used."

" _Or_ , stay with me here, I've never been a parent before," she tosses his words right back in his face. "Maybe, just _maybe_ , he's a six year old who had his mom carted off. I bet you didn't even give him the chance to say goodbye." Enji snorted, but had the decency to look away. Teiko took his lack of eye contact as confirmation. "I'm following the same rules. They're going to be house rules, from now on. No fights unless both parties consent. From there, Mom's—no…Todoroki Rules. Even for a raving lunatic, our old bat sometimes knew where to draw the line."

Enji wasn't humbled. Though she had won the battle, he was convinced she wouldn't win the war. "Where's dinner?"

"Wow, Enji. Is this how you treated Rei? Was she just a broodmare and chef from the start? Is that all she'll ever be to you?" The fridge opened, but he didn't rustle around. He stood before the dim light, his eyes lost in thought.

"Why do you care?"

"She was my friend first, Enji. I don't care if she went to your elementary school or that we were five years apart. _You broke my friend_."

"You didn't talk to her for twenty years. Quit acting all high and mighty."

"I didn't have your number. You only gave me your address last week, after sending her away." Now it was her turn to be angry. "When you looked at her, did you _ever_ see a woman you could love? Or was she nothing but a quirk with a womb made just for you?"

Enji broke from his trance. He shuffled the dishes and selected the leftovers that had been set aside for him. "Of course I loved her." His voice was so quiet that Teiko wasn't sure she heard him right. She didn't press, but he continued on his own. "She was so kind and gentle…but she was weak." He nearly slammed his plate into the microwave. "She wanted our children to be weak, too. If she had just stayed out of the way, I never would have had to hurt her." It wasn't much, but there was a definite twinge of regret. He used his finger to stab the numbers into the appliance. "Why'd you sell the farm?" He asked suddenly. "You could have kept it, or at least given me the chance to burn it down."

"You said Rei wasn't going to be better and I didn't trust anyone to operate it to my standards. I'd be half there, half here, and doing both jobs improperly." She was the type to have her full focus on one subject at a time. "So I'm here until the kids are out of the house."

Silence greeted the end of her words. She decided to change the subject. "Do you remember that girl I punched in the face?"

"Yeah?" Enji stared at the dimly lit turntable.

"I showed her I was sorry with a gift. It's not the most genuine or thoughtful way, but I figured it was better than nothing." Teiko stood and walked up the stairs. She had given him more than enough to chew over. To stick around might undo any lessons he'd learned.

Fuyumi listened by the crack of her door for another few minutes with tears in her eyes. She finally heard her father admit that he'd loved their mother. _He can change_ , she told herself as she wiped away the salty droplets.

By midnight, the whole house was tucked away. Toya had his sweet dreams. Natsuo felt fear lift from his shoulders for the first time in his life. Fuyumi saw a beacon of redemption for her beloved father. Little Shoto cuddled his first ever action figure.

Their morning was unusually quiet. Though nobody spoke openly, all knew at least some part of last night. Enji didn't say a word to anyone, nor did any of them try to speak with him. Teiko packed their lunches while the family ate. When she got to Toya's, she slipped his note deftly into his food. The eldest saw and a light smirk touched his face.

"What's that?" Enji asked with quiet anger. Toya opened his mouth, sure he was the one at fault, but it was Shoto their father glared at. The boy winced and guiltily dropped his mismatched eyes.

"Nothing," he muttered.

"Don't you _dare_ lie to me! How did you get that?"

Teiko swooped in to save the day. "I bought it for him. I thought Shoto would like to see a hero in the house."

 _Savage…_ Toya thought. While the grin had been wiped from his mouth, it still stood strong in his eyes. It came as no surprise to the teen when his father jerked to his feet. Toya was a fighter, but even he flinched away from his Enji's fury.

"What did you just say to me?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, should I slow down, jughead? You're. Not. A. Hero. Not in this house. As soon as you walk through the door and the public licks your ass—"

"Don't swear in front of my kids!"

"Really, Enji, _that's_ your takeaway?" Toya had no idea how she could stand beside him and laugh. Though she was tall for a woman, he still towered over her and was worth two of her in bulk. Teiko's sense of ease was almost terrifying, yet oddly satisfying. She walked over to Shoto and put out her hand. "May I?" The boy glowered and hugged the figure to his chest. "Don't worry, I'll keep him safe." Though it was with obvious reluctance, Shoto relinquished his All Might action figure to his aunt's custody. Teiko held the plastic by his waist. "This is All Might. _He_ is a true hero. He doesn't pretend to be indifferent while secretly hoping for higher approval ratings. Whatever his circumstances were, he made himself into the Symbol of Peace. He is an ideal role model."

Enji looked pained as he held back his quirk. All he wanted to do was set off a blast of fire and be done with the number one hero. It was bad enough that he lost time after time to All Might, but now he had to stomach that idiotic grin in his own home. Enji left the table, and walked out the door. He slammed it behind him hard enough to splinter the wood. The children stared in shocked silence. Teiko, who wasn't surprised, gave Shoto his toy. "Don't ever try to talk to him the way I do," she warned, her turquoise eyes moving to all of the children. "Anything will set him off. Eye contact, or the lack of, talking too softly, too loudly, or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time is going to make him want to scream and attack. All you should worry about doing is complying until I show up."

 _What she described sounds like a hostage situation._ Toya went over to the sink and rinsed out his bowl. "Thanks for the note. I'm off to school." Despite himself, he knew he'd warmed up to his aunt. He left only five minutes after his father, but the hero was nowhere in sight. Toya sighed and slipped his messenger bag over his shoulder. He walked along in quiet contemplation. Dread hastened his steps as he considered the repercussions that accompany skipping school. Even with a note, that wouldn't change how much work he'd have to do to catch up. Despite the cloudy thoughts, he couldn't help but walk with a spring in his step.

Once he finished with school, Toya went to a gym to blow off some steam. While pro heroes had plenty of opportunities to use their quirks, the rest of society was suppressed and encouraged to equip theirs in moderation. Rumor had it that the series of Quirk Gyms were operated by a league of villains to find potential, clearly non-heroic recruits. Participants had to be older than fourteen and sign waivers to participate. Strangely enough, there had been no line for a parent or guardian. Toya took full advantage of the oversight and signed up about a month ago.

It had been six months since he and his father had trained together. Six months since Shoto sneezed fire, then accidentally spurted ice when he tried to cover his mouth. What began as a funny moment almost instantly transformed to something far worse. Up until that point, Toya had been his father's sole focus, as his white haired siblings were deemed 'too soft'. Toya hadn't envied Shoto, but had felt selfishly relieved to lose the daily beatings.

There were four levels to the spars. The first was a request for no damage. No cuts or bruises. _No fun_. The second agreed to moderate bruising, so long as their body maintained functionality. Level three allowed snapped bones and visible marks. As for level four… nobody signed beyond the third. The fourth level were duels that supposedly ended in death matches. Toya slid his card on the level two. While his aunt was a relaxed guardian, he couldn't imagine how she'd respond to his participating in daily brawls.

The system took into count his abilities and past battle records. Nine defeats marked over eight losses. He didn't expect to be the best, as many of the contestants were well into their twenties and beyond, but it was mildly frustrating that he didn't do better. Nobody gave their true names, but an alias.

His was Dabi.

 **Spoiler one revealed.**


	5. Chapter 5

**V**

Natsuo went home without Fuyumi. While he used to dread the days without his buffer sibling, he felt like his father wouldn't be home until late tonight, after they were all asleep. He walked to the step, slipped off his shoes, and slid open the door. The nanny, May, greeted him at once.

"Is there anything I can get for you, Natsuo?" The elder woman asked. "Do you need help with your homework?"

"I'm alright," he declared at once. "Where are Teiko and Shoto?"

May smiled. "They're up in his room, playing with his new toys together."

 _Mom or Dad would never do that._ "Thanks." He ran up and peered through the entryway. As was stated, the duo were on the floor. Natsuo nudged something with his elbow and heard blocks crash to the ground. "Oops, sorry!" He apologized at once.

"No, no, this is perfect," Teiko declared. "We're training. Now, Shoto, your base has been destroyed. Communications are out," she tossed her phone over her shoulder, "what do you do?" Natsuo stood dumbfounded. _Where's the punch line? This isn't training. They're just having fun._ When he looked around, all he could see was a jumbled mess. Streamers draped from the ceiling, toys were scattered about the floor with no possible rhyme or reason. _Why's Shoto looking at this like it's a matter of life and death?_

The thoughtful lad didn't smile. He seemed to delve enthusiastically into the test. "Can I use my ice to stop the debris in time?"

"No. It was a surprise explosion and you're a few kilometers away. You're in the middle of hand to hand combat, so you probably haven't even noticed yet. The villain knocks you down. What do you do?"

"I kick him!"

"Oh no, you missed! You've hit your head on the ground. Your elbows are bleeding because you fell on your own ice. Now your arms and butt hurt from the slip."

"Oh man, I've got to get better at walking on ice," he sighed. The defeat was only temporary, as his eyes shone with determination only a moment later. "I call for back up, but because communications are down, nobody can come?" Though he had started out firm, the end of his statement transformed into a question.

Teiko nodded. "Correct. Nobody heard you. You failed to counter the villain. You died. Better luck next time."

He didn't take the loss harshly. Shoto stood and began to clean up, his face thoughtful as he considered the mock battle.

 _What did I walk into?_ Natsuo thought to himself. Teiko was polite. "May I be excused to speak with Natsuo? Or would you like me to help clean up your toys first?"

"I've got it. Thanks for training, Auntie."

 _It's so age appropriate. He's learning how to think without getting punched in the gut._

"Thanks for having me. Bury your dead with dignity."

It was only then that Shoto laughed. "They're not dead, silly."

Teiko walked out into the hall, then down the stairs. When Natsuo didn't immediately follow, she paused and turned to face him. "Ah yeah, words, sorry." _She admits to being wrong so easily._ He admired the trait. It was better than an unbreakable iron will. "Would you like to come on a walk with me? We can talk, say nothing, or just go get a pre-dinner snack."

"Okay, let's go for a walk," he agreed.

They exited the grand home and began to stroll through the neighborhood. It was a wealthy area filled with other pro heroes and their families. The community was jokingly dubbed Hero's Corner. Thanks to its reputation, they had few villain attacks. Only the truly desperate or idiotic would dare touch a child in Hero's Corner or even show their face in the first place. Natsuo and Teiko meandered along in a casual silence. Though he had much he wanted to ask, he felt he didn't know where to begin.

Eventually, he settled on a topic. "Did hitting my dad make you feel strong?"

Teiko took two steps before she had her answer. "Not really. He was smaller, so he couldn't really put up a fight."

 _Why did I ask?_ The coolness of her answer only served to anger and intimidate him.

"As soon as we knew it was wrong, it was too late. If we both live to even our eighties or nineties, we'll be the siblings that throw creaky punches at each other." She turned and looked down at her nephew. "Has he ever pitted you guys against each other?"

Despite the tragedies he'd faced, Natsuo was terrified by the very idea. "No. Never. Toya, Fuyumi, and I play together all the time, but we've never punched or kicked."

"That's a relief. At least Enji remembers how destructive sibling battles can be."

They were already on the subject, so Natsuo dared to ask, "What was the worst thing you ever did to him? And what was the worst he ever did to you?"

Her first instinct was to tell him to wait for dinner. She opened her mouth to say so, but slowed herself. If she wanted to get to know each child individually, she realized she couldn't be so dismissive. "He couldn't and still can't do any terrible things to me. The most unspeakable things he's done was to marry one of my closest friends and drive her into such madness that she injured one of her children." She slid her eyes up to the sky. For a moment, she seemed lost in a memory. In actuality, she was trying to distract the boy from the second half of his question.

It worked. Natsuo honed in on the unexpected detail. "You and Mom were friends?" She nodded, so he continued. He knew traits about his mother, but little of her past. "She used to call her mom a lot. We'd sometimes hear her on the phone."

"I can guarantee that any time Rei gave her mom bad news, your grandmother felt an overwhelming amount of guilt. Rei's dad has a stiffer spine, but he wasn't heartless. They were impoverished and about to lose their farm. Enji knew it and had eyes on Rei for a long time. He flashed some money and, _boom_ , there was a marriage certificate." She spoke frankly with the nine year old. As someone who wasn't around kids often, she had the misconception that they could think like adults. Natsuo didn't seem to have any further questions, so she decided to skate around the topic.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Now it was Natsuo's turn to stare into the distance. He regarded one of the shabbier, though still expansive, homes they passed. "Something that makes people feel good. I want to be there to see them become happy, too."

"It sounds like you should start building your charisma."

Natsuo tilted his head, clearly confused.

"Charisma is a sort of charm. It's a way of being open and inviting. If you want people to feel good about themself, you have to have a warm enough heart that you walk in the door and they can feel it in your presence."

 _I can do that_ , he told himself. "Everyone asks me if I'm going to be a hero."

"Heroes aren't all they're cracked up to be."

Natsuo winced. "No, they're definitely not." He developed a thoughtful frown and looked at his newest guardian. "Can we tell the police? About what's happened to us"

Teiko slowed, and then stopped. She dropped to her knees to get level with the boy. In that moment, she saw his unresolved feelings manifest in his eyes. She knew she only had one shot to explain the reality of it to him.

"If it would do any good, I would've already done it. As you've seen firsthand, your father cares more for his rank and ambition than he does his family. Enji would hire sharks for lawyers. You may get a moment of satisfaction where you see him handcuffed, but it will be short lived. If you do manage to get inside a courtroom, he'll use your mother as a scapegoat. He'll show that she was the one who burned Shoto. He'll turn his tale to put everything on her and declare you and Toya insane. He'll leave Fuyumi alone, so she can act as Shota's new mother figure, and get back to work on his training. You'd sue in my name, so when we lose the case, I'd have to go back to work and settle an incredible amount of debt." She straightened. "If you wait until Toya's of legal age, the debt can go in his name, but the result remains the same. If you wait until you're old enough to take on the burden, chances are nobody will want to touch what will hopefully be a series of painful memories that nobody wants to revisit."

In short, there was too much that not only _could_ go wrong, but _would_. "So there's nothing I can do," he muttered, his voice thoroughly depressed.

"You can't change the past, but you can rise above it. Become a social worker, if you want. Then you can recognize the signs and save children from their silent suffering. Or become a lawyer and try to fight against the sharks that protect people like your dad."

The idea that he could help some future kid helped him. "Hey, Aunt Teiko?" He said quietly. "Thanks. I'm glad we went for a walk together."

"I'm glad, too. Even if reality's not what we want it to be."


	6. Chapter 6

**VI**

 **This chapter is a mix of past and present, as seen by Fuyumi's point of view. I'm going to be going into more detail concerning the sequence of events that led to Rei's hospitalization. I would highly recommend you stop reading at the page break if you don't want to know _my_ take on what happened to make Rei snap and what followed immediately afterwards.**

* * *

Fuyumi refused to write her dad off as a lost cause. The daughter held a special relationship with her both of her parents and went out of her way to cultivate both relationships as equally as she could. Though her father was generally unavailable, Rei was in one place and always up for a visit. On the day of Rei's mental breakdown, Fuyumi had gone with her mother. It had been Natsuo who instinctively knew to ice the boy's face. Enji had his private physician visit the house and check the wounds, but all the doctor said could have been done was to avoid letting the five year old try to make his own tea.

The daughter couldn't fault her father for wanting to maintain his image. She had to work hard to encourage her brothers to go along with the public statement. "If word really gets out, then reporters will be all over Mom in the worst time of her life," she'd said. In the end, Toya offered no resistance and though Natsuo had seethed at the logic, he'd agreed it was for the best. All three of them had agreed to leave Shoto in the dark. He wasn't in school yet, so he wouldn't hear any rumors or face ridicule. The story was so boring that none of the media even bothered to report it.

 _Dad's smart_ , she told herself as she knocked on her mother's door. _This could have been a disaster_.

"Come in," Rei called from the other side.

Fuyumi smiled and happily obliged. "Hi, Mom," she said with a careful smile. It had been a week since the event and Fuyumi had been careful to visit every two days. She wore a knit cap with her hair tucked away, just in case any of the flecks of red might set off any triggers. For the most part, Rei seemed quite reasonable in her seclusion. With Enji out of the picture, Rei was a nearly normal woman. She remained soft spoken and sweet as a cube of sugar, but Fuyumi didn't find any fault with that. "I hope you're hungry. I stopped by a takoyaki stand on my way over."

Rei sat a bight straighter and pivoted in her seat. A single chair sat by the window, her sole access to the outside world. While she was deemed sane enough to have access to a television, Rei had insisted she didn't want one in her room. With Endeavor's frequent appearances in the news and all over the internet, Fuyumi couldn't fault her mother for being a bit of a technophobe. "What an unexpected treat. Thank you, Fuyumi." The twelve year old smiled and handed over the box.

* * *

"Would you like some? Food tastes best when shared."

The motto was said often in their old house. It had been a way for Rei to put her children in her line of sight. The quiet woman had only felt secure when she was able to have all of them in her sight.

Until even that wasn't enough. Fuyumi recalled how taken aback Rei had been when Toya began to develop is teenage attitude, or when Natsuo started to make comments.

"Why doesn't Shoto have to eat at the table?" He'd asked in an attempt to justify having dinner in front of the TV.

Fuyumi had watched Rei choke back tears. Natsuo knew full well that Shoto was undergoing 'training', which mostly consisted of the child being savagely beat. Dad said it would make Shoto tougher, but Fuyumi wasn't so sure. "Mom, no!" Fuyumi had yelled as she watched her parent flee from the table. She had tried to intervene before, they all had, only to fail in the same way. Their only saving grace was that Endeavor was a hero, so he couldn't leave marks where people would see.

Rei rushed to her beloved baby's hell and burst through the door. There he'd kneeled on the ground with his hands clutching his gut. "Now stand up. If you get hurt that easily, you can forget about beating All Might, or even a small-time villain." Enji's voice was as powerful as thunder. It echoed through the spacious training hall.

Rei tried to be reasonable. "Please stop pushing him. He's only five years old."

"He can take it," Enji insisted. "Get outta of my way!" He hadn't even waited for her to move before he shoved his wife to the ground. The fall could had been expected, but Rei had no battle reflexes. She fell at an angle - first on her head, then on the rest of her figure. The initial thump had her passed out cold. Enji left his wife and drug Shoto somewhere else. He didn't want to waste valuable practice time by moving an unconscious body.

That night, Rei had awakened confused and disoriented. She stumbled down the stairs to the kitchen and began to rummage about. She had pulled her favorite kettle from the top of the stove, filled it with water, and turned on the burner. Her goal was to make some medicinal tea to numb the stinging pain at the back of her head. She glanced at the clock. Despite the ungodly hour of two in the morning, she headed to the wall mounted phone. The fear in her heart and a sense of urgency had her disregard the time and call at once. The line only rang twice. Unbeknownst to her, she had awakened her youngest, Shoto. Rei spoke as soon as she knew the phone was answered. It didn't matter if it was her mother or father on the other end. She had to say it now, before she lost her nerve.

"I feel like I'm going crazy," she began at once. She didn't want responses. She couldn't handle the usual talk of 'hang in there, sweetie. Be supportive.' Tonight, there had to be results. Her words came out far more frenzied than normal. "I feel like I'm going crazy. I can't take it anymore. Every day, the children seem more like him. And Shoto…"

The child in question rubbed the sleep from his eyes and lifted his fist to his mouth to cover a hearty yawn. Upon hearing his name, he quieted and stared up in wonder. Why was his mom talking about him? "That child's left side sometimes looks unbearable to me. All I can see is his father. I can't raise him anymore. I want to run away from this life!"

Though the plight sounded reasonable for the crazed woman, she didn't even learn if she had support from her parents. In that moment, her son spoke.

"Mom, what are you saying?" Shoto asked, stung. Rei pulled the phone from her face as if it had burned her. At the same moment, the kettle began to screech. _If I can make it look like he burned Shoto, maybe the police will take us away_. The thought struck her in a moment. It sounded like the best case scenario. She grabbed the handle and pulled on the mechanism that released the spout. _I have to do it fast. It's the only way!_ Boiling hot water splattered Shoto. By luck or subconscious aim, Rei would never know how she managed to hit the left side of his face.

Shoto cried out at once. Toya ran into the kitchen first, followed quickly by Natsuo and Enji. "My son!" The last of them called, his voice enraged. He rounded on Rei and pulled his fist back. "What did you _do!?_ " His voice was thunder. It quaked in every inch of her being until she cowered on the floor like a cornered dog.

"I-I-" she couldn't finish a sentence. She began to sob hysterically on the ground. Her hands pulled at her hair to shield her face. A strike hit her kidney. His foot smashed against her curled figure. Rei was rolled onto her side by the force of the attacks.

"Dad, stop!" Natsuo cried. It was only then that Fuyumi arrived. As last to the scene, she didn't have the whole story.

Toya had been stunned enough to let his father get two hits in on his mother. He sprouted fire in his hands and threw them at Enji, who deflected the blasts easily.

As a family rule, nobody hit Fuyumi. They all loved their sister's ability to see on the bright side. She was their angel in their hell. "Dad, Toya, stop!" It had been the only time in her life that she had to raise her voice. Only when she had been sure that everyone would get along, the daughter dropped to her knees, tears welled in her eyes. "Mom, come on. Let's go to a hospital." She tried her best to keep her voice clear, but she felt herself wanting to panic just as much as everyone else.

Alone, the woman and girl walked down the stairs and outside the home. If the boys were going to beat each other, neither of them wanted to see it. Rei limped with every step. "I just. I just-" she kept repeating, her face scrunched with agony. Those were the only words she had said for the rest of the night. When they'd arrived at the hospital, Fuyumi knew enough to only give her mother's first name. Nobody had wanted to question a mother and daughter out at five in the morning. By the time the police arrived to take their testimonies, both had settled on silence. Rei's hesitation was from fear, but Fuyumi's stemmed from loyalty.

* * *

Fuyumi waited for the anticipated phrase, but it never came. She sat on Rei's twin sized bed and watched her mother eat. As far as she knew, none of her brothers had come to visit. _Will they ever?_

"We have a new lady in the house."

"That didn't take long, what's her quirk?" Rei didn't put it past Enji to replace her.

Fuyumi thought the question was to be expected. After all, eighty percent of the population had something. "Uh, I don't know. I think we're asking her that at dinner tonight. It's Dad's sister."

"Teiko?" Fuyumi was surprised at her mother's familiarity. How did Rei know Teiko?

"Yeah, Aunt Teiko," the twelve year old confirmed. "Wait, do you know her?"

"Yeah. I knew Teiko before I knew him." So long as they didn't say Enji or Endeavor, their conversations went well, for the most part. "We were neighbors growing up. Some kids were teasing me and Teiko stood up for me." Her face paled at the memory. "It was pretty over the top."

"No way, what'd she do?" Fuyumi was interested already, but she made sure to sound doubly intrigued to keep her mom talking.

"I'll let you ask her. If I know Teiko, she still loves to tell stories." Rei looked more animated than she had in days past. "Wow, Teiko's here," she said to herself, though loudly enough that Fuyumi could hear. Talking had become good way to keep her focused. "I bet the house got a whole lot louder."

Fuyumi laughed. "It's not too bad. She sent all of us to bed so she could talk to Dad alone."

"So naturally, all of you were listening to every word?" Rei knew her kids.

"Naturally," Fuyumi confirmed. "She never said _not_ to." The obedient daughter had to confirm that she'd broken no rules.

"How long did they fight?"

"It was only a few seconds, then she gave him a talking to." Fuyumi couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw a look of triumph in Rei's eyes. None of them were willing to go to the authorities, so it seemed that their sense of justice would have to be filled by Teiko, or not at all. The girl felt emboldened by her mother's show of strength. "He said he loved you."

Rei's gray eyes dropped to her lap. She looked at the hands that had burned her son. Would Shoto ever forgive her? Could he possibly understand? Their visit ended in silence.


	7. Chapter 7

**VII**

 **Now for Toya's point of view on Boiling Night.**

* * *

Toya took his time on the walk home. He inwardly frowned any pedestrians that wore headphones or any other personalized listening devices. _What sheltered idiots_ , he huffed. They lived in a world where villains sprouted like daisies. Heroes had to take the longer path. They had to cultivate their strength, get accepted to a proper high school, they had to apply for licenses. All the bad guys had to do was act.

Finally, he reached his street. The teenager slowed his steps and took a moment to think back. _Less than two weeks ago, Mom was here._ What had once been a depressing thought was now empowering. _She tried, but all she did was cry._ He felt his mind slip back into memories.

* * *

Toya remembered sleepily registering some banging in the kitchen. Toya had thought nothing of it. His mom was famous for her nightly tea raids. She'd always slept terribly and was up several times a night, if she even bothered to go to bed at all. Rei had taken it upon herself to host vigils and watch for their father. As if they ever did any good.

Toya recalled seeing water on the floor. His first thought was that Shoto had slipped on some of his ice and melted it by accident. _B_ _ut why is Dad hitting Mom?_ It was only then that he registered the one sided fight against his mother. He knew his attack would be worthless, but he didn't stop the blue flames that sputtered from his hands. As expected, Enji destroyed them as quickly as they could be created.

Fuyumi rushed between them. Nobody hit her, that was the rule. As she instructed, they entered a temporary cease fire. As soon as she and Rei left the room, Natsuo had acted on instinct and applied a very thin ice to the burn. It was thanks to the middle son's sharp thinking that Shoto's injuries hadn't become anything more than a red blemish. Enji worried about his prized steed. "Call the family physician," he said to the room at large. Natsuo took the command to heart and carried his four year old brother from the room. He'd known there would be blood.

Enji and Toya glared at one another from opposite sides of the training hall. As one, they expelled fire. Toya had dodged and moved in close to try to get some hits in. Thanks to his smaller size, he was significantly faster than his old man.

Of course it wasn't enough. Enji elbowed Toya in the back and his eldest son dropped like a rock. "She hurt your brother, you idiot. How are you possibly taking her side?"

Toya had tried to get up, but his father lit a fire. "Stay down, son," he growled. Both of them knew that Toya's flesh wasn't made to withstand heat. His quirk and body were simply incompatible, thanks to Enji's selective breeding. There had been no choice for him other than to lay and wait until his father left.

"That's what I thought," Enji snorted as he stomped away. "You're weak. And to think I once thought you were worth training."

* * *

 _That hell is over_ , he reminded himself. _If Teiko can't win, then I won't stick around._

He knew it wasn't a heroic way of thinking, but he never aspired to become a pro. His sole ambition was to find somewhere safe and live his days without having to check over his shoulder. Back before Shoto had become the student, Toya had been covered with various degrees of burns. He wore long sleeves to compensate for the bubbled and scared flesh littered about his body. Thanks to his extensive training, he had no hopes or dreams. He took each day it came and did his best with what was given. His marks were average, as he was devoid of desire to study. Even so, he didn't wish to suffer the repercussions of those that fell behind. His teachers couldn't understand how the son of Endeavor could have such small hopes for himself. They tried to offer him encouragement, but he remained detached to their genuine offers to help.

He had gone to the Quirk Gym again, so he was only just in time for dinner. The clock read 5:02 and Enji was nowhere in sight, but the rest of his family was at the table. He felt little arms grab waist in a tight squeeze. "Mom and Auntie were friends!" Shoto exclaimed. "You're just in time! We're going to have our dinner-time story!"

"I'll make you a plate," Fuyumi offered at once.

Natsuo was not nearly as welcoming. "Come on, _come on_! I want to know!"

Teiko laughed and tutted her finger. "Whatever you little monsters are going to ask won't change in the minute it takes for Toya to join us. Calm down."

"Done!" Fuyumi declared. She set Toya's dish at the place beside her. While the girl tried her best to remain patient, she felt as curious as her brothers to hear more about Teiko.

Toya slipped his shoes off and slid the door shut. He made sure to do it as slowly as possible, a broad smirk on his face. In his own way, he was going to harmlessly torment them for starting without him. "Is this going to take a while? I think I might need a bathroom break."

Teiko laughed, but Natsuo and Shoto bounced far too much for him to follow through with the threat. Toya nudged his brother away and herded Shoto to the dining room. "Alright, let's have it."

"Fuyumi wanted to hear about how I defended your mom for the first time. Are any of you opposed to that? It'll also answer what my quirk is, so I'd say it's a two for one deal."

Toya plopped down beside his sister. "Sounds good to me."

Teiko began as before. "Once upon a time, there was a fair farm girl named Rei. She was six years younger than me, but nobody would play with the Todoroki family – for obvious reasons – so she was my one friend. She lived at the neighboring farm, the sole offspring of her mother and father, a sweet couple who married for love. They called their precious daughter their baby and tried to give her the finer things in the world, but they were dirt poor." She looked around to gauge the crowd. None of them had touched their food and all had even leaned forward in their seats. She took it as a sign to continue.

"I don't even remember what their quirks were, but a trio of ten year olds from my grade couldn't find a harmless puppy to kick, so they settled on Rei. I, like her parents, didn't think the girl could stand up for herself. In the long run, we became enablers." Teiko made sure to look at Toya in particular to let her words sink in. "I was eleven, but these were kids raised in the boonies. They were strong and knew all about taking a hit. Thankfully, I've never been much for physical combat, or else this story might have ended differently.

"Rei had pinned herself against a tree and was shaking like a leaf. I didn't want to damage the root system, so that ruled out the majority of my earth manipulation, but I also couldn't set the forest on fire again, or my old man would beat the ever living s-not out of me.

So I made a sand tornado. I sucked those little fu—shi- twa-" the children laughed at her valiant attempts not to swear, "…boys," she finally decided, "into the vortex and rocketed them up to the sturdy branches a few meters off the ground. They got stuck and couldn't get down. In such a small community, everybody knew everybody, so I went to the boys' houses and told all of their parents that we were having a party at my house. They believed me, and come morning we had six pairs of adults at our front door begging to know where their children were."

Toya snickered along, only able to picture the row of outraged guardians.

Only Fuyumi looked flustered. "Was everyone okay?"

"One of the idiots tried to climb down and fell, but he only bruised his tailbone. The next time he even looked at Rei I smacked his ass, ah shit, _fuck_ … looks like I'm doing dishes. Anyway, I smacked his butt and he howled in pain."

Natsuo laughed until tears streamed down his eyes and Shoto giggled like a maniac. "The three of them tried a few more times, but eventually realized couldn't hurt me, so they tried to go for Enji." The mood sobered considerably. Silence shrouded the small audience once more. "He was jumped, but managed to break four bones between all of them. Enji and I were ostracized in town because of it, but we didn't really care that much. Enji had his dreams of becoming a pro and I was a spiteful, sassy teenager."

Teiko did the dishes alone. The kids settled by the television, the eldest three with their homework out. Shoto watched his newly discovered cartoons and cuddled his All Might action figure. Ever since Teiko had given it to him, the toy hadn't left his grasp. Fuyumi looked up from one of her math problems and tapped her pencil at her chin. "Why were you late, Toya?"

He kept at his work. Maybe if he didn't answer, she'd leave him alone. "Toya?" She asked again, this time with a more serious face.

 _Oh great. She put her mom eyes on._

"I was out," he answered vaguely.

"Out where?"

"That's all you're getting."

"Toya, why don't you talk to—" she stopped when her brother snapped his book shut and stood. Without another word, he dismissed himself from the situation. There was only so much he could take. While he wouldn't ever hit Fuyumi, she had a way of prying beneath his skin. Her sense of responsibility grated on him. For whatever reason, she acted like she was the oldest, but it was him. He was the sibling in charge. Toya went to his room, turned on his music, and sat at his desk to catch up.

Hours later, he flipped the dial and the noise quieted. He was satisfied in his efforts and felt much more prepared for tomorrow. _I'll be just a bit better than mediocre._ A knock echoed through the chamber. Toya knew it could only be a sibling, father, or aunt, but wouldn't invite any of them in without checking first. He took a moment to listen, then crossed his wooden floor and opened the door. Teiko waited with a bag in her hands. "What's this?" He asked.

"What do you want it to be?" She countered.

The answer was so unexpected that he didn't know how to respond. "What?"

Teiko took a step back. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

"It's late."

"There's no school tomorrow," she reminded him, as if he didn't know that with every fiber of his being. "If you don't come, I'm just going by myself."

"Going where?"

"Your dad won't be coming home tonight. According to the news, he's hunting a villain."

 _Why can't she just answer the question?_ Toya was frustrated and curious as he stared at the hunk of brown paper. "Fine." Their neighborhood was safe enough. "I'm staying close enough to keep the house in sight."

"Sounds good." She said easily enough. He had expected her to fight back or insist that she needed him for the errand. Toya appreciated how the woman could make suggestions, not order him around.

They exited their home quietly. "Are you going to tell me what's in the bag?"

"Once we get to the sidewalk," she whispered. Once they reached their destination, Teiko turned and presented Toya with the subject of his curiosity.

He grabbed it at once, as the wait had made him far too enthusiastic. There was a crinkle as he unfolded the top and looked down. "It's empty." _This is stupid._ He crumpled it up and tossed it to the ground.

"No it's not," Teiko insisted. She left the trash where it was. "It's now full of every responsibility you took upon yourself for having a shit dad. You just put in it all the duties you don't want to do. All your censored thoughts, the dreams that were imposed upon you – everything that isn't yours is in there. You don't have to be the guardian in your own home anymore. I'll take that job on for myself."

Toya wondered why it felt so good to listen. He stared at the litter and felt everything she said lift out of him like she had drawn poison from a grievous wound. Without thinking, he put his hand forward and blasted it to smithereens. There was no smoke, only a scorch mark over the pavement. He felt a wave of relief so overwhelming that tears dipped from his eyes and spilled down his cheeks.

Teiko afforded him privacy by staring at their grand manor. "Whatever you decide, think it through first. I had plenty of conviction to spite my parents, but none to be a farmer. I stayed there because it was easy. In hindsight, my most of my decisions were sloppy and lacked a great deal of hindsight." She shrugged. "You're an over thinker anyway, so I'm sure you'll choose a path that's right for you."

"How did you know?" He couldn't believe how perfectly she'd articulated his feelings.

"I used to feel the same way about your dad. I had to consciously let go of him to help myself move on."

He felt such overwhelming gratitude and trust that he decided to open up to her, even though she was still a relative stranger. "Society loves heroes," he declared as he wiped the moisture from his face. "But if it weren't for money, almost no one would be a hero. It shouldn't be a job that someone like _him_ can do. A real hero would act selflessly and not need any compensation." He felt his words tumble from thick and emotional into an impassioned hiss. Toya looked her squarely in the eye at his proclamation, as if daring her to challenge him.

"I wholeheartedly agree. That's one of the reasons why I'm not a hero."

"I went to a gym after school."

"Let me guess, a Quirk Gym? We had one out in the country. I didn't know you city folk approved of such a barbaric trend." She reached out her hand. "I go by Maki there."

 _Barbaric? It's just fighting with quirks._ He reached out to take it. "And I by Dabi."

 **According to Google, Maki is Japanese for kindling. I don't care if Google's wrong, that's what I'm hoping it means for the sake of the story.**


	8. Chapter 8

**VIII**

Thus the family settled into their habits. Fuyumi visited her mother every other day, Toya returned home later and later every night, Natsuo worked on his charisma, and Shoto began to develop his own interest in training. July slipped into March with remarkable haste. For the first time in their lives, the sons felt safe. Even Fuyumi, in her state of denial, couldn't deny the wonderful peace that had descended upon their home. For the most part, Enji avoided the house. He slipped in to sleep and left before any of them awakened. Whether he was taking dozens of missions or chose to nap in a hotel, only Fuyumi and Teiko cared enough to give him a second thought. Often, the latter considered a quick visit to see Rei, but Shoto never expressed any interest in a confrontation with his mother. If Teiko were to leave the child home with May, the nanny, and her brother reappeared, he could take it upon himself to take part in some impromptu training. Though she was inwardly frustrated at the wait, she respected the Shoto's wishes. While Enji's torment had been constant, Rei's sudden shift to the role of assailant had to be a far more devastating blow than any of Enji's punches.

Teiko just finished cleaning when Shoto approached her with a determined look. _Training again?_ All it had taken was a little time and an aunt with a weak will for the boy to amass a room filled to the brim with toys. While he spent most of his time using them as pieces for their strategy game, he proved to have as capable an imagination as any kid his age with heroic play-time. Thus far, all of their training sessions had revolved around his mind.

"I want to practice with my ice today."

Teiko had waited patiently for him to reach that conclusion. She seized the opportunity and immediately nodded to the front door. Once they were in the center of their private courtyard. Shoto turned to face his aunt, as if to fight. Teiko shook her head. "Not like that," she told him gently. She didn't want to press just how ready he was to enter in combat. All it would take is one wrong move to put him off hero work forever. She made sure to set a firm foundation of confidence. "Ice is a strategically handy element for immobilization. If you want to become its full master, you must first lean how to walk on it. Turn a portion of the lawn to ice." He pointed his hand and did as suggested. Teiko only expected him to manage to change a few meters. What he did was freeze so far that the edges of his frost touched against the corners of the house. A shudder of cold rolled down her spine. "Great job! Now, catch!" She used her terrakinesis to float a fist sized stone just over his head.

Shoto jumped and made a valiant attempt, only to slip and fall on his butt.

"Are you alright?" She asked, ever conscious of any triggers. The boy seemed resilient. He nodded and tried again.

Thus passed the next three days. Teiko and Shoto worked on his balance until he could run comfortably. _He's advancing incredibly. I can see what Enji saw in him_. Next, they advanced to jumps and elevation changes. "Step two," she declared nearly a week later, much to Shoto's enthusiasm. That meant he'd done well enough to move on with the next level of training. "Are you ready, or do you want a break?"

"Quit teasing me, Auntie!" He huffed, though it was done with a smile on his face. "You know I'm ready!"

"You know, I think I thought of your hero name. What do you think of being called Cool Beans?"

"Auntiiiie," he sighed. They both knew it was lame and that she was stalling to frustrate him.

"Sir Glacier has a nice ring…"

"Auntie!" He groaned, clearly exasperated.

"Oh fine, I'll tell you step two. You only have to do it if you want, okay?"

"I want to." He said at once.

"You don't even know what it is," she pointed out.

"Then surprise me, Auntie. I want to!"

"Alright, kid, I'm still telling you. I'm going to fire dirt clods and pebbles at you. There's no way you'll be able to dodge them all. Anything goes. You can use your quirk to stop them or incapacitate me. If you choose not to block, this exercise is going to help your observation skills. You'll have to learn how to avoid a pebble and take a dirt clod instead, or else you'll get whapped. This relates to fighting. When you're out in the world, you'll have harmful and harmless debris falling in more urban settings. You'll want to be able to make fast decisions on how and what to avoid."

It was moments like these that had Shoto question whether or not his aunt was really a farmer. He knew of her battle-prone childhood, but that couldn't explain some of the details she seemed to know like the back of her hand. "I want to move onto stage two." He had loved his mother and trusted her, but he couldn't count on Rei. He hadn't trusted or loved his father, but he could rely on a beating to come after every failure. Teiko gave him all three. He trusted, loved, and counted on the woman. In their past half year together, she'd come to dominate every aspect of his training, yet he hadn't ever felt a flicker of fear.

Teiko chuckled and ruffled Shoto's two-toned hair. "Then let's begin."

She hesitated only a moment, for the sake of Shoto's age. Once he had the spark of readiness in his eyes, she began to fire. As promised, a thick smattering of dirt clods and pebbles pelted effectively down towards the icy field below. He swept his arm over his head and created a small shield. He'd acted too fast for a quick fix over efficiency, and soon paid the price. Within two hits, the ice splintered, then shattered. A few dirt clods plopped harmlessly onto his head, while a pebble found his shoulder. The hit was soft, but motivation enough for him to try harder. Shoto used his newly found balance over ice to weave and dodge around. "Mind your footing," Teiko warned when the boy backed towards an incline and began to slide down. They continued for ten minutes, until Shoto stood panting and lifted his hand to signal a stop. Teiko obliged and ceased her fire. Experience with his father taught him that adults could and would run him until he was on the ground.

Once the two stood still, Shoto noticed Enji's thick silhouette watching from the kitchen. He stood, framed by open doorway, in his casual clothes; a pair of dark wash jeans and a white T-shirt. His cold eyes glanced across Shoto's landscape of ice. Some points were high, flat, or riddled with small dents. Pebbles and sprays of dirt were imbedded into most of the hills and loose on the straighter shots. Shoto had small red marks on his arms and dirt on his scalp, but a smile on his face. "We were training," The child declared arrogantly. "I learned a lot."

Enji took the tone and measured it against the achievement. He gauged how clean his son was in comparison to the messy planes of ice. "It looks like you did a good job," he said. The fire wielder turned and vanished into the home's many halls.

 _Finally._ Teiko had known all along her little brother could come around.

After that, they adjusted their routine by setting a place for Enji. For the first time in months, the head of the family sat for his meal. Through their dinners, the children learned all about Teiko, save the worst thing she'd done to Enji, which was a question she assured them she would answer when they were old enough. Toya in particular hoped his day would come very soon. He'd come for the meal and companionship and generally leave afterwards to do whatever it was his heart desired.

Though everything looked the same as before, Enji could feel the changed atmosphere in his home. A part of him hated that he had to adapt for his family, but he'd learned to accept that he had been wrong. For better or worse, he wouldn't be rid of Teiko. Whatever changes she'd implemented were ones he had to accept, or risk losing his children, thanks to her damn recording. He didn't know if she was bluffing and didn't want to push her far enough to find out.

Fuyumi opened the night's conversation with an observation. "Mom really liked your present."

 _So he did it._ Teiko didn't visibly react. Shoto's eyes went as wide as saucers and Natsuo fumbled with his chopsticks. Toya glared at the ground. Enji chose to focus at Fuyumi, who kept her smile casual. He felt weak, as if presenting her with a gift was him stooping to her level.

Even so, he couldn't deny the small spark that light in his chest. Maybe this could be his road back to her. The hope was feeble, but it still existed. He had mistreated her for decades and it may take twice as long for her to even face him again. "Thanks for delivering it." The man stated gruffly to his daughter.

"What'd you get her?" Teiko asked.

"Some candy she liked when we were kids."

"Melon flavored?"

Enji nodded, but would say no more. He felt his face redden and hated every minute. Teiko saw the caged beast in her brother's eyes. "Want to spar?" She was the only one who could handle him and he desperately needed an outlet.

"If you insist," he agreed as snobbishly as possible. A part of him knew she was doing him a favor, so he decided he'd reciprocate. He defaulted to the only thing he knew. Shoto was training with her. He turned to his youngest. "So. What does your aunt teach you while everyone else is in school?"

How it irked him when Shoto looked first at Teiko. He watched his sister give a subtle nod to the boy before his son would continue. "We talk about battle strategies a lot. We use my toys," Enji clenched his fist beneath the table, but kept his face calm, "to set up different situations and ready my mind."

Despite the knowledge that his son had extra play-things, Enji found the mental training to be favorable. "You're highly intelligent, Shoto. I bet you've done well with the mock scenarios."

The compliment was a perfect one-eighty to Shoto's last training with his father. He remembered how he'd been punched and called weak. "T-thanks." Though he wanted to sound tougher, the six year old was too stunned not to stammer.

Everyone ate their meal with only a smattering of small talk, mostly at Fuyumi's insistence. "I saw you caught Dust Buster today. Did he put up a good fight?"

The daughter was completely out of her element, but she had to try. Maybe if Enji spoke more, he'd manage to bridge some of the rift he'd created. "No, he was a weakling that was barely worth my time."

"I couldn't quite tell what his crimes were."

"He was a villain who used his quirk outside of the law. He called himself a vigilante, but all he did was get in the way and nearly obstruct justice." The fellow's tone hardened considerably, as if the topic was a point of controversy. After that, none of them tried to rekindle a conversation.

They all stopped eating one by one. Nobody had sworn that day, so they were unsure who would do the dishes. The family sat in quiet tension. "Oh fine," Fuyumi sighed. "Hell." She scooped up the bowls and took them to wash.

Everyone but Enji laughed at the newest development. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Teiko with obvious confusion and a hint of anger.

"I made a house rule where whoever cusses the most has to clean up." She explained.

"I'm surprised your bed hasn't been moved next to the sink." He knew her sailor's tongue quite well. A part of him considered berating her for letting his children develop such a nasty habit, but the promise of a decent fight kept his mouth shut. "Let's go."

Natsuo was stunned. Sure, his dad couldn't be all bad, but for him to make a joke was completely uncharacteristic. "C-can I watch?"

"Me too," added Toya.

"And me!" Shoto scrambled to wrap his arms and legs his aunt's leg.

Teiko stood still for a moment and let Shoto attach to her limb. As soon as he was secure, she began to trudge up the stairs. "Anyone that wants to witness is welcome to join. Fuyumi, should we wait for you?" The girl shook her head at once.

"Go on without me." There were too many bad memories in the room for her to face.

Natsuo and Toya raced to the top of the stairs. They seemed to have no reservations on facing the old hell. Toya wouldn't call Teiko an angel, by any means, but she seemed to be some sort of hellish fiend in their corner. The two sat just beside the door, as it was mostly out of the way. Enji entered next, followed by Teiko and Shoto-leech. Once his aunt stopped moving, he popped off her leg and skittered over to the wall.

Enji began to stretch. "If it gets too hot, you'll have to protect yourselves to keep watching," he warned. "Otherwise, get out." He had no intention of holding back against his sister, who he saw as a devil, though one he knew well. Teiko kept her expression indifferent, so the boys did their best to match her. Shoto nodded, but they were careful not to make too big of a fuss.

"Todoroki rules," she reminded him. Over one of their meals, she had informed the boys of their family code and how she'd treat them while training.

Natsuo muttered, "at least the house won't blow up."

Toya wasn't so sure. Two fire wielders were bound to make a mess. He almost felt as if he should be standing in case of an explosion.

There was no bell or spoken word, but the two siblings attacked at precisely the same moment. Enji charged in with raw strength. His motions were like that of a bull. Though he was swift, he was predictable and unable to change trajectory at short notice. All his motions had to be clearly pre-meditated.

Teiko was no spring chicken, but she wasn't fat or burdened with brawn. Her muscles were impressive, but athletic and lean. She shot a pair of rocks straight for his gut.

He couldn't dodge, there wasn't enough time. Enji blasted the projectile away.

Teiko used the cover of Enji's smoke to deploy some sand. Toya noted how her moves came in swift pairs or groups of three. She signaled her elements while keeping a safe distance back.

Enji rushed through with a battle cry. He bore down upon his sibling and aimed a predictable punch at her torso. Teiko cupped her hand and the sand dug into Enji's broad physique. Every inch of his exposed skin felt itchy and uncomfortable, but it wasn't unbearable. There was but a moment of hesitation. In that instant, Teiko ducked down. She slipped behind him with nimble grace and put her hand to her throat. While Enji had been wasting firepower and focused on the steady attacks, Teiko had created herself a fist-sized blade of glass. "Dead."

"Again!" Enji roared. They reset the stage. Enji dispelled his lingering flames and Teiko did likewise for her sand. "And the dagger," he warned, as if she was going to hide it on her person. She chuckled and made a show of dropping it on the ground. Enji kicked the weapon away and they began their second round.

He charged and she dodged, but this time he managed to get his hands on either side of her head. "Dead." There was definite triumph in his voice. They fought three more times. They matched ad two and two, but Enji won the tiebreaker.

Teiko could see the sweat on her brother's forehead. She knew he had been at work all day, fighting, and that an overuse of his fire would overheat him. "Looks like you win tonight, Enji." In all fairness, she was breathing heavily as well.

He felt better after letting off some steam. While the room was spacious, it wasn't nearly big enough for the two of them to fight in earnest. "Let's fight outside next time. Tomorrow." It was March and the weather was forecasted to be a bit cooler than normal. While it was uncomfortable for him in the short run, he would be able to equip his quirk for a little while longer.

"Tomorrow is Toya's birthday. I don't think he wants to spend it watching us fight."

Toya was surprised she'd remembered. He would be turning fifteen.

Enji paused and turned to look at his eldest. His son had matching turquoise eyes, red hair, and the same complexion. In appearance, he was a near perfect match to his father. There was a long pause before either could think of what to do or say. "What did you want to do to celebrate?" Enji asked. Birthdays were never cause for celebration the Todoroki home. Teiko and Enji had given each other birthday beatings, but there had been a certain lack of festivity to the tradition.

"I made special dinners for Shoto and Fuyumi." Teiko offered. Though she wouldn't admit it, she was just as out of her league with festivities. _If anything, Rei should be celebrated. She's the one that gave birth to them._

Toya hadn't forgiven his father. He'd only watched the match because he would be an idiot to miss two fellow fire wielders coming to blows. "I wanted to go see a movie with Aunt Teiko." He made up the lie on the spot, but trusted she would go along.

Enji's lips pulled into a frown. "What kind of boy sees a movie with his aunt? Why don't you take a girl?"

Natsuo caught the fail and sniggered at once. Teiko feigned outrage. " _Excuse me_ , Enji?" She radiated womanly sass. Too late, the hero caught his mistake.

"Ah, shit."

"Dad's doing the dishes tomorrow!" Shoto cheered.

 _Current Fanfiction Ages: Teiko, 41. Enji, 36. Rei, 35 ( **guess** ). Chizome Akaguro, 21. Toya, 15 (turning 15 next chapter) ( **guess** ). Fuyumi, 13. Natsuo, 9. Shoto, 6._


	9. Chapter 9

**IX**

 **Thank you fencer29, I sincerely appreciate all the checks you do for me and greatly anticipate your comments. To all you other readers, thanks for popping in and seeing where the story goes next. Like it, love it, somewhere between? I'm pretty set in where the story's going, but still love input.**

* * *

Teiko made oyakodon, a dish cooked at a low simmer until the chicken was tender enough to be cut with a spoon. She stirred in eggs during the last thirty seconds, until they were partially cooked, but still silky in consistency. Everyone dug in. They had their usual chatter and modest celebration, but for Toya dinner couldn't end soon enough. Nobody else swore that day, so Enji did the dishes. Though he grumbled the whole time, he still put in effort to become a part of his family. Teiko trusted her brother to be alone with the children, but made sure not to leave until she had given Natsuo a phone and put both he and Shoto to bed. "Call me if _anything_ happens." She made sure the point was firmly drilled in Natuso's skull before she exited his room. She went to bid good night to the youngest. The instant Shoto's door was closed, Toya rushed the front entry and put his shoes on.

Enji practiced in the training hall. For the dozenth time that night, Teiko questioned whether or not she trusted her brother alone with the children. In the end, she decided she did. His night hours were devoted to his personal training. Even if he couldn't defeat All Might, he would be damned if he dropped lower than his second slot. If he tried anything, he'd go for Shoto, not Natsuo, who had the phone.

Teiko and Toya walked out into the night. "This must be some movie," Teiko remarked, as she'd seldom seen the teen move with such purpose. She checked her phone and made sure the ringer was on full blast.

"We're not going to a movie."

"Oh thank God." She seemed far more relieved than she should. The mobile was tucked into her pocket. "I hate movie theaters. They're dark, smelly, dirty, and cost far too much."

"You sound like you're eighty," Toya remarked. Maybe it was a mistake to bring her out.

"Going on ninety," she agreed. Even if he had wanted to drag her into some dingy room to watch a horror flick, she would have gladly done so to get to know the teen.

Though their destination was now a mystery, she didn't ask him where they were going or how long it'd be. The two moved in an easy silence. They boarded a bus and rode to the edge of downtown, where they slipped off at an unremarkable stop. On one side of the street were decent, well-kept buildings. At the other were abandoned structures that looked like safety hazards. "Ohhh," she exclaimed softly as the epiphany struck her. They turned and walked to the most boring building of all. It had clean white walls and no mark upon it. Toya opened the door and stepped into the Quirk Gym first.

They slid their cards through the number two slot. Dabi's stats pulled up, revealing his seven losses and nine wins. Maki's were far more formidable. Dabi had to look twice to make sure he was seeing properly. "I'll tell you about the level four later," she muttered to her nephew. There were no tallies in the level one category, a handful in the level two, but most of the level threes were victories. Thirty seven stood against six losses. For the first time in a while, he read the explanations posted on the wall.

 _Level 1: No cuts or bruises._

 _Level 2: Small injuries, functionality maintained._

 _Level 3: Broken bones and bruising permissible._

 _Level 4: Ultimate end._

He had worried about bringing her here, yet his aunt was the only one he knew that participated in level four. Toya prided himself on being unshakable, but he couldn't help but gawk at the stranger beside him. He wanted nothing more than to swipe his card again, which would withdraw him from matches, and go somewhere to talk. He was immediately matched with a someone called Stendhal. A monitor on the wall told him his battle would take place in the third arena. Teiko nudged Toya and pointed. "Are you going to accept?"

Toya reacted without thinking. He scanned his card to accept the challenge and stepped into the elevator with his aunt. As soon as they were in the small box, he turned to her. "A level four?" He whispered with obvious interest.

" _Later_ ," she repeated more sternly.

He wasn't in the headspace to take anyone on, but he'd already agreed. If he didn't show up at the match he'd take a forfeit, which was worse than a loss. Once they reached their landing, Teiko admired the battle zone. It was as large as a pro hockey arena and fully covered with transparent, metallic glass to withhold the fighters' quirks. She took a seat in the bleachers, which held half a dozen spectators. One of them had to be a judge, as it was the Quirk Gym's rule that all matches be ranked and scored accordingly. In addition to victories and losses, they used a complex algorithm to make matches fair and entertaining for all. It was because of such points that she doubted she'd receive an opponent.

 _Shit, I forgot to check his stats_ , Toya thought as he walked into place. The floor was made of metal block tiles. While it wasn't perfectly indestructible, it was more than enough to handle most peoples' quirks. For fairness, abilities weren't advertised.

Stendhal was one of the ones who dressed for the battle. He wore a gray suit with black, armored pads over his shoulders and legs. Atop his outfit was a pair of black boots and utility vest with multiple foldable knives tucked against his pockets and other folds of fabric. His black hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail and his face was masked by a shaped sheet of metal with indents for facial features. Toya noted blade sheathed across his hunched back as well as the plethora of pockets along his vest that could host any number of problems. Not many people took things to the same level as the bladed foe. As soon as the two were settled, the noise of a gong projected into the arena.

Their fight began in an instant. Stendhal rushed like a horse that had been released from its starting gate. He grabbed the handle of his blade as he ran. In the moment where his foe's arm was raised, Toya saw an opening and took it. He lifted his hand straight out and pushed a small waves of flames towards the man.

Stendhal ceased his reckless advance and dodged backwards from the blue fires' hungry grasp. He reached behind his right hip and pulled out a throwing knife. Quick as a flash, he tossed the weapon before he rushed after it.

Toya hadn't expected such a mundane approach. _He's fast._ He was cut across the cheek. _Did he miss?_ Toya didn't have it in him to back up. He tensed and readied his fire. _No. He must want my blood._ He knew where Stendhal would go, so there was no need to dodge. The teen held his flames in check and waited until just the right moment. When Stendhal was almost upon him, Toya crunched his fist closed and delivered a finishing blow to the man's stomach. While it wasn't his favorite way to end a fight, he was limited by the rules of a Level 2 brawl.

He was appalled when he felt Stendhal lick his face. _What the—agh!_ Toya's body betrayed him. The duo fell as one. Seconds passed, but as much as he tried, Toya was stuck. "What…the hell?" He groaned and tried to strain, but nothing would work. Stendhal rose, one hand at his gut, and looked down at Dabi on the ground. The gong noise rang again, which declared Stendhal's victory.

Toya felt the paralysis release. Thankfully, there were no lingering effects, so he got to his feet with ease. He didn't look at his opponent as he left the ring, but that didn't stop the figure from staring after him. Stendhal walked out of the rink and loitered by the bleachers. Through the mask, he shamelessly watched Toya reunite with Teiko.

The aunt tilted her head and addressed Toya's new shadow. "Yes, can I help you?" She chose to speak in front of witnesses. Should anything go amiss, the judge would facilitate.

Stendhal must not have wanted eyes on them, for he gestured with his finger, turned, and walked away.

Teiko laughed and casually set her hand on her nephew's shoulder. "Do you want to be recruited as a vigilante sidekick?" She muttered lowly to him. The boy was surprised.

"What? No." He spoke from reflex, without truly considering his options.

"Great, I'll come with you, just in case he blows. Only extremists show up in suits."

Toya wanted to argue that he didn't need her to fight his battles. He also knew that was the entire reason she was in his life. She'd beaten her brother, the boss battle of his life, so what was some… "Did you say vigilante?"

Teiko nudged him along and carried on the string of conversation. "That's what the Quirk Gyms were constructed for. They're a way for vigilantes to scout recruits. By training and measuring quirks, it's one of the more sophisticated systems out there. If you weren't so antisocial, or Enji's walking clone, someone may have told you."

"You look more like my dad than I do."

"My tits are nicer." Toya couldn't help but grin at her wit.

They turned down a hall and saw Stendhal. He loitered in the middle of the floor. "I've seen your face before," he said to the boy. " _Both_ of your faces." He took a slow step forward. Teiko pushed her way in front of Toya and stood with a confident, nearly arrogant posture.

"That's a creepy way to start a conversation. Take of your mask and try again." She declared fearlessly. "I'm Maki, and this is Dabi."

"You both resemble a false hero too strongly for it to be coincidence." His tone seemed to linger on the verge of rambling. "You live in a big house with halls stacked with possessions and fame earned by selfish greed."

"Yup, that's pretty much how greed comes about. Selfishly," Teiko agreed. "Considering that all I see in your face is my reflection, I'd say you look a hell of a lot like a false hero too, by your own reckoning."

Toya didn't want to talk to the man anymore. He wanted to turn and walk away, but Teiko seemed to have a problem with leaving well enough alone.

"I saw your statistics." This time, Stendhal spoke directly to Teiko. "With so many victories and battles under your belt, you must have what it takes to ascend the ranks and join the pros. Why don't you?"

Teiko instantly disliked the man. From his outfit to his intensity, everything about him struck her the wrong way. "I'm not going to try to go public or make a point."

Stendhal's mask remained pointed at them. Even after Teiko nudged Toya away and left the hall, the figure remained in his spot.

* * *

 **Oyakodon recipe credit to Cooking With Dog on Youtube.**

 **I'm basing the story on Stendhal's earlier days, pre-Vigilante series, when he's in training. I apologize that his speech isn't on point, but I'll give it my best to get into his fanatic mindset.**


	10. Chapter 10

**X**

Teiko went back to the waiting room. Now that Toya wasn't so focused on her scores, he was able to better look around at the area stacked with rows of chairs, a television which depicted players' victories and defeats, and a water cooler. Thanks to the gym's central location, there were perhaps eighteen people seated. None of them wore costumes. "I probably won't be matched," she told the teen as she gazed up at the board and matched the victories. Nobody came anywhere close to her level. "Want to get more fights for yourself, or head on out?" The way she glanced over her shoulder told Toya she expected to be followed.

He warred between the idea of more battles under his belt and learning more about his aunt. _Level four_ , he reminded himself. Not only that, he didn't feel particularly inclined to have a discussion with the masked man. Toya strode across the room and removed his name from the list. Teiko did the same and they both exited after only one battle. It had been, by far, Toya's shortest visit.

They roamed dark alleys without fear. As they got moving, Teiko began her tale. "Out in the boonies, everyone went to Quirk Gyms. Life as a farmer comes in waves. Sometimes you have to harvest or plant for days on end, while other days all you can do is sit on your hands and watch the grass grow. No matter how much effort you put into something, none of that matters if you don't have a crop to show come market day." She made sure Toya understood the motive before she pressed on. "One of my neighbors was a dishonest man. We'll call him Jim.

"I noticed that some of my produce was going bad, even though I took proper care of it. I asked around and my neighbors admitted to having the same problem. Jim lied and said he faced the same difficulties. Unbeknownst to us at the time, Jim snuck around at night and used his quirk to turn everything rotten. A vigilant old lady caught him in the act, but couldn't capture him. She phoned me the moment she got inside. I woke up at four in the morning to our sweet neighborhood granny shouting in my ear, 'It was Jim! Go get him, Teiko, it was Jim!' I did the only reasonable thing. I hung up on the crazy old bat and went back to sleep.

"Come morning, she came to my house and pounded on the door. She said the same thing again and again, 'It was Jim. _It was Jim!_ ' Let me assure you, this woman wasn't the most reliable witness. I greeted her at the door and agreed that I would check on Jim's property. She drove me in her car and we went deep into the country, as Jim lived farthest out in the sticks. We poked around and saw that all of Jim's things were fine. He had crates of produce ready to go to the market. I was only in my twenties and was quick to the draw. I screamed at him and told him he had two options. I could report him to the police and he could go to trial - we didn't have any evidence, but all the time away from home would ruin both of our chances of turning a profit, or we could meet at the Quirk Gym that night and enter level four combat.

"He chose the latter. Word spread fast and dozens of families approached me and begged that I would avenge them. This was their paycheck for the growing season. They were furious and many of them had no idea how they'd survive." Even as she spoke, Toya noticed how her arms shook with rage. Flames danced at the tips of her fingers. "Jim discovered that fire doesn't decompose."

Toya warred with his emotions. He felt she'd been justified in attacking Jim. Though she didn't say so, he assumed that Jim had been buried decades before.

Teiko caught the intensity of her words and closed her palm, which quenched the fire. "There aren't really heroes in the middle of nowhere. Even if there were, what could they have done? We used our Quirk Gyms to attain barely legal justice, provide entertainment, and catch up with our neighbors in a neutral setting. If only two people in a category for a period of five minutes or longer, they automatically match, no matter how uneven the numbers."

A voice spoke from above. "Did you expect compensation for dispatching of such a sinner?" Stendhal walked from an adjacent alley. His covered face pointed at them with the same intensity as before. His words bordered on a growl, as if he expected Teiko to answer wrong.

Teiko was not one to be taken by surprise, but she jumped. Either she had been caught up in the story, or the fanatic was a master of stealth. " _Fuck_ you're creepy," she declared to detract from her tale.

Of course it wouldn't be so easy. Stendhal repeated himself, though he spoke slower. "Did you exact compensation for dispatching of such a sinner?"

She decided to answer. "No, dumbass. Farmers don't have extra money sitting around to give away."

Stendhal lifted his hand to his mask and pulled it from his face. Beneath the gleaming silver was by far the ugliest man Teiko had ever seen. His chin was overlarge and mouth turned in what seemed to be a permanent sneer. His too small irises were no larger than the average pupil. Their hue was an unattractive mottled brown, like curdled sewage. "Then you are a true hero," he declared. "I seek to correct or corrupt _hero_ society. When I saw both of your faces, I thought you were traps set by pro heroes to lay us low." Toya frowned and subconsciously reached to touch his hair, as it was one of the traits that matched his father. Stendhal regarded the teenager. "As for you, Dabi, you are not a true enough student for this hero. You fight and look obsessively at the board. All you desire is to win, not to learn."

Teiko hated to admit that Stendhal had a point. It was one she wanted to address to Toya later. The boy slid his fingers down to his face. True to form, Enji had never injured his son in such an obvious way. "You're awfully preachy for someone so young. Exactly how will you repair society?" The teen asked.

Stendhal smiled, as if thrilled someone would ask. _Oh great. I feel a speech coming on._ Toya regretted his question at once.

"I will act by refusing to get my hero license and saving people all the same. If I encounter a false hero, I'll cut them down as swiftly as I would a villain, for false heroes are even more villainous than those who blatantly commit acts of terror. I'll stain the streets with their blood." A sickening grin stretched across his face.

Toya spoke without giving much thought. "Yeah?" He snorted. "I know just the one for you to start with."

Teiko could have whapped her nephew on the head. She turned around sharply and frowned at the boy. For all of Enji's crimes, he was still her brother. Despite her bluffs, she'd never turn him in. Stendhal leaned forward, his interest sparked. Toya had a look of defiance that told Teiko all too well that he planned to rat out his father.

A scream echoed in the night.

Stendhal broke from his intrigue. At these younger stages in his life, saving others was far more important than prying information from children about their fathers. He always knew where to track down Dabi later, as the boy was a frequent brawler at the Quirk Gym. The vigilante darted down the familiar streets and made his way swiftly to the shriek. Teiko warred between the urge to follow and assist and the desire to get away. The former won. "Come on, Dabi."

They relied on Toya's knowledge of the city to reach the cry. It only took them minutes, but by the time they arrived, Stendhal stood over a corpse. A woman rushed swiftly from the scene, her eyes filled with horror. The man had replaced his mask at some point in his journey, for his face was again shielded from view. "What a heroic deed, to approach even though you already knew I would be here."

"You're making quite a few assumptions, Whelp. Maybe we were trying to prevent your cold blooded murder." Teiko said as she surveyed the scene. A man lay on the ground, his eyes unseeing. Stendhal drew his blade and crimson gushed from the neck wound. Toya felt nauseated, but Teiko looked on with ease. "So what'd he do that didn't match your ideals?"

Stendhal wiped his sword against the corpse's clothes. "He attempted to sodomize the woman."

"All right, murder face. That's enough for tonight." As an afterthought, she looked down at Toya. She registered the horror glued on his face. "Ah, shit…" _Happy birthday, Toya. You get to see your first dead body._ If this didn't put her in the running for world's worst aunt, she didn't know what would. "Come on, let's go." Teiko grabbed his shoulder and steered him away. He walked with a disconcerting, numb obedience.

Stendhal began a speech even as they walked away. He preached while crimson leaked over the street. Toya may have listened, but a deafening ring echoed through his head. His legs kept moving, even though they felt numb and heavy all at once. A high, long buzz filled his ears and shut out all else. His eyes seemed to look through a haze.

As they ventured home, Teiko remembered her first time seeing a corpse. Jim's death hadn't been a clean affair. In her haste for justice, she had sunken both of his feet into rocks and incinerated his body while he still lived. Her neighbors had watched. Though some were horrified and never attended the Quirk Gym again, other particularly savage beings brought their disputes to Teiko to dispense their justice. Her departure from the farm had been as much to retire her career as judge as it was to help her brother. When she and Toya left the taxi a few blocks from the house, she told him just enough of her history for him to understand. "If people found someone to be guilty and could provide enough evidence, I sparred the accused."

They reached their street. "Heroes don't care what happens in the sticks. If we wanted justice without lengthy court procedures, this was the way to get it done. Rei's family knew, but never told her. They never attended, anyway." It was because of Teiko's activities in the ring that they never told her about Rei and Enji's home life. The kind parents feared not only for their daughter, but the entire family if Teiko were to visit.

Toya didn't have any questions. He went to bed and spent a long night in a restless daze.


	11. Chapter 11

**XI**

 **Chapter edited thanks to fencer29's point. I never considered that Twice made the clones and it makes enough sense for me to ignore. I'm going through and revise the rest of the story to make sense.**

* * *

The next day was Sunday. Fuyumi and Natsuo went to visit their mother, the latter for the first time. By the time Toya descended the stairs, he only saw Shoto and Teiko in the kitchen. The boy bounced eagerly at his aunt's leg. "Can we train? Please, _please_?" Toya stepped towards the table and looked over the day's breakfast. Though he saw some of his favorite things, he had no appetite. The image of the corpse lingered in his mind.

"Once you're done with Shoto, I'd like to train too." The teenager declared.

Shoto turned and gawked. "You don't train, Toya," he said accusingly. "You just want to steal Auntie from me. It's no fair, you had her yesterday."

Teiko put her hand on the half-ginger's head. "This isn't something worth getting fired up about," she told him gently. Shoto frowned, but nodded. He hated the idea of sharing his teacher. The lad stepped away and skulked in the family room, his All Might toy cuddled in the crook of his left arm. "I might have spoiled that boy," she sighed. "Did you want to talk about last night?" Nobody was in their immediate, so it was the best chance they'd get.

Toya was full of thoughts, but didn't know how to put them into words. In the end, he shook his head. Since he had nothing, Teiko posed another question. "Is it alright with you if we have Shoto watch your training? If he one day decides to use his left side, he'll have your lesson as a base." Toya shrugged, which she took as consent. "As soon as you _do_ want to talk, I'm always here."

She finished clean-up and the three of them went to the courtyard. Shoto sat on one of Teiko's quirk-made stone benches. He'd finished his tantrum and found he was just as curious to learn of fire as he was ice, so long as he didn't have to use flames of his own. Toya stood just off to the side.

Teiko began by holding out her arm parallel with the ground, as if to brace it against an oncoming force. "I don't know about you, but my fire has a bit of a kick. Shooting like this is okay for small flames, but it can hurt your shoulder." She adjusted her stance from solid like iron to a more elastic stretch by bending her knees and lowering her shoulders. "If you put your palm down and pull upwards instead of shooting out point blank. This way you can pull more heat and help the flames grow without jarring your shoulder." She demonstrated by going through the motion. She kept her feet firmly in place and drew her limb skywards. The drag created seemed to waft the embers higher and higher until they were an impressively sized inferno. She swung her wrist and released the blaze harmlessly to the sky.

"The underhanded angle gives you a better aim than if you push down, and all the pressure naturally rises, so if you push down, you might get knocked off your feet." Teiko gave another demonstration by raising her arm high to the sky and shoving the limb down in a stiff motion. This time at her fire's release, her body did jerk to one side and throw her off balance. "If you use both, you can achieve some level of temporary flight, at the expense of heat build-up." To prove her point, she rubbed her wrist.

 _My quirk,_ Toya thought as he considered his covered arm, _destroys my body._ Beneath it, scores of disfigurements marred his flesh. They were all thanks to his early days of training. _Before little Shoto arrived to take the heat off me_. Teiko stepped to the side and Toya practiced the underhand style. He expected it to hurt, but her tutelage was spot on. The heat kept away from him and took to the air instead. Once he had a good form, Teiko continued with a slightly new lesson.

She flexed her fingers lightly and pulled embers into a ball form. "The best part of elemental quirks is that hand to hand combat isn't entirely necessary. If you want, all you have to do is set the stage for your battle. You can set a fire to cause a distraction. Smoke will generally send people away from you, but you could herd them into a trap easily enough."

Toya noticed how when she trained with Shoto, she made sure to make villains the subjects. For him, it was just people to oppose. _She gets me._ He remembered Jim's uncertain fate and looked down at his mottled, permanently disfigured palm. _Could I kill? Do I have enough conviction?_

Teiko had Toya run through drills so she could work with Shoto. She encouraged the teen to take a field trip and see how different objects reacted to his supreme level of heat. As such, Toya wandered off and did exactly that. He marveled at how easily even the wettest of greens instantly disintegrated to his touch. His cremation quirk treated everything the same. He grimaced in pain as some of his own flames seared his palm. _It even burns me._ He envied his father for his ability to wear fire like a second skin. _Then again, his fire's nowhere near as hot._ He looked back and watched as Shoto and Teiko went through a strange practice. She made an obstacle half of earth and half of ice. "You have to have perfect balance on both," she instructed. The track was short, but Toya knew it would likely get longer and longer as Shoto proved himself.

The trio finished their work and went inside for lunch. Fuyumi and Natsuo walked in only five minutes after they'd taken their seats. "You're in trouble!" Natsuo said with a grin.

"I didn't do it," Shoto declared at once.

"Not you," Fuyumi chuckled, "Auntie."

Toya was impressed at his aunt's easy laugh and smile. He felt guilty enough for going to a Quirk Gym, and all he did was participate in measly brawls. How could she act so cool with a man's blood on her hands, however old it was?

"Shoto ate the last bun," she deflected.

"You said you wouldn't tell!"

"Hey!" Natsuo sounded mildly upset, but still laughed. "I was going to eat that."

"I'll buy you another one, Natsuo." Teiko looked perfectly relaxed. She didn't even glance at Toya. "So what'd I do this time?" There wasn't a hint of fear in her. Then again, there never had been.

"Mom wants to know why you haven't visited her." Fuyumi sat at the table with her rice.

Though it was entirely because of Shoto that Teiko hadn't visited her friend, she wouldn't let him feel guilty. She understood why he didn't want to visit "That's a good question. If you're all okay without having a responsible adult around-"

"You're not responsible," Natsuo interjected.

"Then I can go see her once we've cleaned up. Unless someone else thinks they can beat me for most swears of the day."

All eyes fell to Fuyumi, who flushed. "Fine…what do I have to beat?"

"Twenty."

"There's no way… are you serious?" Natsuo laughed and Fuyumi began to mutter a string of 'hell, hell, hell…' all while she kept count on her fingers.

"I'm not. I only said one, but apparently we broke Fuyumi."

In her concentration, the girl had continued on until she reached twenty one. "Done. Wait, what?" She flushed red. "I said all those for nothing?"

"You sure did, you potty mouth," Teiko teased. She stood and ruffled Fuyumi's hair. "Thanks. I owe you uh…twenty one, or would that be twenty two?"

 _How could Mom, who can't stand a kid being hit, be friends with her?_ Toya paused. _Then again, she said it happened in her twenties. Maybe she got bored with Dad gone. She'd lost her punching bag._

She headed to the door. "You know the drill. Call me if there's an emergency. You guys get to decide who's in charge." She went to the door and left.

"Pick me!" Shoto squeaked.

Toya should have felt some urge to take charge, since he was the oldest, but he hadn't felt an ounce of obligation over his siblings since the night he burned the brown bag. The teen slipped his shoes on and followed his aunt out of the house. If Shoto, Fuyumi, or Natsuo were surprised, he didn't hear it. He wanted to see even a shadow of what his mother had once been, back before his father became her personal devil.

Teiko didn't attempt to speak to the nearly silent youth. She imagined his head was swamped with thoughts from the night before. If not that, then hopefully the morning's training still lingered somewhere in his mind. Toya spoke first. "My flames hurt me."

Though it wasn't about the eve before, Teiko was glad he could think of his training. "Enji tried to make opposites attract, but in you they repel one another. Don't worry, I have a few ideas for you." The teen felt relieved that she didn't tell him to push through the pain, that she took his complaint seriously.

Their trip went by too quickly. Toya enjoyed the time with his aunt even more than before. The final barrier between them had broken and he could say whatever he wanted. Not only was she unshakable, but she took everything in stride. Likewise, she seemed to remove any filter during their discussions. When they were in earshot of others, he became quiet and aloof. Teiko put her natural charm to work and conversed easily with anyone. Toya envied the easiness of her chatter, but felt no motivation to duplicate her act.

When they reached the hospital, a nurse told them where they could find Rei. Teiko knocked with three thumps, a pause, and then one last one. Inside, Rei straightened at the familiar beat from her childhood. "Come in," she called with barely restrained eagerness. Her voice sounded sweeter than Toya had ever heard. The young man took a step out of the way and stood on the wall. Though he had intended on being a part of the visit, he felt like a third wheel. If he changed his mind, he could always reveal himself.

Teiko, of course, said nothing. "It's stuffy in here, Rei. Mind if I keep the door open?"

Rei glanced at her closed window and at her meticulously clean surroundings. "Okay. I've kept everything shut because of the weather."

Teiko chuckled and took a seat on the bed. "What kind of ice wielder doesn't like a good, glacial breeze?"

Rei smiled and stared fondly at her oldest friend. She had known Enji and Teiko far too long to think of them as a pair. Many years with the duo showed the woman that they were definitely not the same. "I'm taking it Fuyumi and Natsuo passed along my request?"

"Yeah, I've got the porn, but it's weird that you asked your kids about it."

Rei flushed lightly and giggled. "I forgot what a pervert you are."

Toya shuddered on the wall. _Gross._

"They said I was in trouble, so of course I came. I'm sorry it's taken so long, Rei."

"How long have you been there?"

"Since after the night you left." Teiko's tone became serious. "I'm sorry I didn't visit even before this, Rei." The woman before her had cost her brother a small fortune; not only for her 'dowry', but in bribes to pay off the notoriously overworked and underpaid hospital staff. "I didn't know where you lived or your number. Your parents never said anything."

Rei's shoulders drooped and she looked away. "I didn't want you to know how weak I was. You always said he was nothing but a bully with a handy quirk, that I could stop him if I really wanted to…" the white haired woman's eyes leaked tears. "I _really_ wanted to, Teiko, but I couldn't."

"So you took it out on a five year old."

"No!" Rei's voice sounded like a plea for someone to understand. Tears filled her eyes. "I -"

"Stop." Teiko's command was instantly obeyed. Toya heard his mother cry on the other side. He risked a glimpse. When he peered around the corner, he saw Teiko with her arms wrapped around Rei. "There's no logic in Hell, Rei. The fact that you feel guilty will eventually be enough for Shoto. He'll come around."

Toya was surprised, but that was all it took for the two women to clear any bad blood between them. Rei calmed and Teiko changed the topic. She spoke of neighbors he'd never meet and places he'd never see. Though Toya saw plenty of openings, he didn't feel any connection to the woman in the room. She may have been his mother once, but she seemed more like a stranger that he'd tucked away in the brown paper bag.

* * *

 **The brown paper bag is a reference to an earlier chapter.**


	12. Chapter 12

**XII**

 **Previous chapter edited. Clones omitted, as it was Twice's quirk, not Toya's.**

* * *

Come April, Shoto was enrolled in school. It was the morning of his first day, and things weren't going too well. "I don't want to go, Auntie!" The lad proclaimed.

Natsuo tried his best to help. "You don't want to become that weird guy that goes to movies with his aunt, do you?"

Toya grinned at the remark, but didn't defend himself. "Toya's cool! He can use fire better than anyone else in the family." Shoto said firmly.

"Well, aside from you, he's the only one of us that can use fire," Fuyumi pointed out.

"Hey, what am I?" Teiko pretended to be offended.

"Adopted, apparently," Toya said with a smirk.

"Apparently," Teiko laughed. "Shoto, I'm not home schooling you full time. Go to school, make friends, and learn how to see from different perspectives. If you stick around me, I'll probably ruin you with my outrageous opinions."

"I _like_ your opinions." Shoto couldn't see anything wrong with his newest idol.

"And that's precisely why you're going." Natsuo went to the door and lifted Shoto's backpack. "Come on, I'll walk with you."

Toya had not put his bag out, as he had no intention of attending high school. He'd put on an act for long enough and was finally going to put his foot down. If Teiko noticed, she had yet to comment.

Shoto dug in his feet and glared at Natsuo. "I'm not going!"

"If you don't go, you're going to fall behind your peers. You won't learn about math, science, history, or Japanese. You won't be able to get your license as a pro hero and all your training will amount to nothing." Teiko decided to give logic a shot.

Some part of it appealed to the boy. "Fine," the lad declared sharply. He walked with Natsuo and Fuyumi out the door, but made sure to make a fuss about it. He shoved his shoes on and stomped down the sidewalk.

Teiko listened to the stomp and was grateful for it. Toya frowned at her smile. "Why are you so happy?" He asked.

"He wanted to be at home. He finally has a place where he feels safe and secure," she explained.

Toya stood up and rinsed out his bowl. "I'm sure you know it's not the house that's changed." The grand structure was the same as always. Teiko said nothing, but Toya could practically feel her grinning behind him. "Let's go train." His family wouldn't be back for hours.

Teiko cocked her head. "I expected you to have _some_ questions." She stood nonetheless.

"Yeah, will you help me train?" He was focused on his goal. The two of them walked to the training hall. As she'd promised, Teiko encased the door with earth so no one could open it without great difficulty.

When she was done, she turned and regarded the teen. They began to work on his fire control. "I'm probably going to bore you out of your mind, but we're going to work small, from the very basics, and change your entire habits. If we can fine tune your instincts, I'm confident you'll never hurt yourself with fire again."

For the next two weeks, they did just that. In order to check his instincts, Teiko took to randomly tossing sand at him to see how he'd react. Toya startled at first and reacted with too much power. By the fourth time, he responded with a more reasonable amount of power. By the tenth, his instincts gauged precisely the amount of force needed to counter the harmless grains. Every time before they started, she was sure to put a block over the door. Not only for Toya's secrecy, but to keep the ever snooping nanny, May, from getting a face full of fire.

Shoto put up less and less of a fuss on his attendance and went quietly enough to school. Once, Teiko looked out the door and saw the six year old call back for Natsuo and Fuyumi to hurry or else they'd be late. As for Toya, he never went to high school. He joked once that he'd enrolled in the Todoroki Dojo, which had earned a smirk from his teacher. Teiko didn't try to rush him or run Toya into a state of exhaustion. They worked at a slow, yet steady pace that was far more mentally challenging than physically. Weeks passed in the blink of an eye.

One day, the door seemed to grunt. Teiko slowed and turned. The children had been in school for two hours. _Is one of them sick?_ A sudden explosion of fire splintered the measly barrier from existence. Enji glowered in the training hall, his face taut in a sneer. "What's this?" He glared at them both in equal measure. "Fuyumi told me you weren't going to school," his voice honed on Toya first, before they shifted to Teiko. "And you. You're supposed to be helping me, but here you are enabling him." Teiko's eyes quickly shifted to Toya's, but Enji continued. "If you think you're old enough to drop out of school, let me tell you how painfully wrong you are. You won't get anywhere in life, Toya. No agency will touch you and your dreams of becoming a hero will end. I pulled some strings, but I got a decent enough hero school lined up for you."

Toya glared at his father. "I'm not going. I don't want to be a hero."

"Don't be an idiot." He glared at his son, then at Teiko. "Let me guess, you've ruined him with your idiotic speeches about how a true hero wouldn't be paid. Let me enlighten you as to how you live. If you don't like a hero's wages, then why are you under my roof?"

"Because you're not a hero. You're an overpaid psychopath." Toya was surprised to find the words had stemmed from his lips.

Enji expected as much from his sister, but not his son. A vein bulged at his temple and he thundered down on his eldest child. "If you think you're old enough to talk to me that way, then you're old enough for me to fight you with no restraint." He drew his arm back and prepared to beat the resilience right out of Toya.

They were too close together. Any blow Teiko made would have hit them both. Toya acted in his own self-defense. He spurted fire from every pore. Years of rage and self-confidence in his abilities collided with his newfound indifference for his blood ties. Like a spark on gasoline, he exploded physically at the same moment he mentally snapped. Blue flames shrouded both figures and Teiko lost sight of her nephew and brother. The heat was enough that the roof of the house collapsed overhead. There was no smoke, but the flames billowed upwards to treat the hole as a chimney. Teiko set about encasing the walls with stone, as to limit the structural damage.

Enji stepped back from the inferno and waited for his child to burn out, but Toya wouldn't allow him the chance. The teen threw ball after ball of fire at his old man. Each one boasted enough strength that it created divots and singe marks in the walls of solid rock. If not for the impromptu-skylight, the heat would have been unbearable. " _Get out!_ " Teiko shouted at Enji. She erected a cover of earth as a screen to keep her safe. Her brother looked as if he wanted to yell in return. " _Your son's going to flame out!_ " She had to scream over the roar and constant whoosh of air. " _Get out, **now**!_"

He didn't listen. Teiko had hoped he would, but wasn't surprised when he didn't. Enji looked away and began to charge towards Toya. _His stubbornness is going to kill us all._ She created a rock the size of a softball and projected it with just enough force to hit Enji on the head and knock him unconscious. The burly fellow dropped with a satisfying thud.

Toya seemed to see that the end had arrived. He slowed his attack, until the blue flames gradually receded. The boy stood in the center of the training hall. His chest heaved with each breath. For a moment, Teiko marveled that his clothes had survived. It was with a sickening, sinking feeling that she recognized that no…they hadn't.

At first glance, it appeared as if over half of Toya's skin had been stripped from the muscle. Cauterized cells collected in patches along his form to create a horrifying patchwork over his slender figure. Teiko prided herself on being unshakable, but seeing her nephew in such a state was utterly terrifying. His turquoise eyes stared down at his unconscious father. His breaths came in long, audible pants. "Auntie," he whispered, his tongue seemingly unaffected by the heat. She didn't know how he could utter a word with his face split horizontally. For just a moment, he looked unburdened in spite of the disaster. Somehow his body failed to recognize the pain. "Let's kill him. That's one false hero down." When she didn't immediately respond, he beamed at her. Blood oozed from the aggravated tissue. "Come on, Auntie. Just use another rock. This time down his throat to choke him… We could end it!" Did his tears seep from joy, pain, or fear? "If you kill him, you don't have to stick around anymore. Fuyumi could take care of everyone. Shoto loves school, he won't miss you." Crimson leeched across his broken form. He lifted his foot to take a step forward. Brown and red smeared on the floor behind him. "Shoto doesn't need you, but the world does. Let's get rid of the false heroes like him." He pointed at Enji sharply, but kept his face on Teiko.

She felt color drain from her face. The gore was well beyond anything she could handle. She knew that all she'd have to do was wait for him to pause. Soon enough, he'd pass out.

" **Auntie**?" He became panicked at her lack of reply. "Why won't you answer? Just kill him!" Toya's vision blurred. He tried to move, but felt his balance abandon him. He swayed and fell to the ground.


	13. Chapter 13

**XIII**

* * *

The first thing she did was rush to hover over Toya's chest and check to see if he was alive. The slow fall and rise was barely enough to reassure her. She ran out of the room and went to Enji's bedroom. Once there, she stripped her brother's sheets off the gargantuan mattress and hurriedly wetted them in the shower. In her haste, she got herself wet. Though she could normally act calm under pressure, she trembled where she stood. _Not yet_. By sheer will, she held herself together. Once the blanket was wet, she rushed back to Toya's side and rang out the excess water onto the bloody footprint. "Toya," she spoke urgently. " _Toya_. Stay with me." Her hands shook as she wrapped his body in the protective cover.

Public transportation was out, so she'd need to use her quirk. Teiko carried Toya down the stairs and to the lawn. She used her terrakinesis to peel up a chunk of sod and use it as a sort of flying carpet. They traveled full speed to a hospital, with no need to slow for traffic or stop at traffic lights. Teiko moved quickly enough to avoid any hero interceptions. She rushed into the emergency room with Toya's faintly living body cradled in her arms. "I have a burn victim," she called. "At least thirty percent of his flesh is gone." She felt genuine fear for her nephew. At the moment, she didn't care about Enji's health, or the fact that she'd abandoned him at the house.

Staff removed the boy from her arms. She watched the staff cart her nephew away for treatment. It could have been seconds or hours later that her phone rang. She numbly answered without looking at the caller ID. "Hello?"

The nanny, May, spoke. "Miss Teiko," she sounded hysterical. "I don't know where you are, but I think he's finally done it. I think Mister Enji killed one of his children. Please, hurry home!"

 _I can see how she thinks that…_ "I'm with Toya," she said gently to the older woman. "Don't let the kids go home. Take them to a hotel and tell them I have a surprise waiting. My wallet's in my room."

May sobbed some more. "T-Toya, thank goodness. Is he okay?"

Teiko settled for the truth the woman wanted to hear. "He's not dead yet," she said in a positive tone, while inwardly she cringed. "Toya's tough. Call me again when you have everyone at a hotel and let me know where to go." May agreed and hung up.

Hours later, Teiko was told that the bought she'd brought was going to need to stay in the hospital for a month for reconstruction and observation. She told them that she was his mother, and that his name was Dabi. In return, they told her that her son was lucky to be alive.

She was allowed to visit his bubble. Toya was quarantined to keep infection from hitting his open wounds. His pain tolerance would never be the same. Teiko privately thought it was good that he was an elemental user, as he'd never be adept at hand to hand combat after the accident. Through it all, she managed not to shed a single tear. When she saw her nephew, he lay with an oxygen mask over his face. His eyes were closed, but wrinkled with pain.

May called. "I'll be there in a few hours," Teiko promised. She warred over the possibility of lying to them. They were still kids. _They've already seen hell. Is this really unexpected?_ She fought with rage of her own as she went back to her carpet of sod and rode it back to the house. She dropped in through the blast hole with a loud thump.

By some miracle, Enji was still out. May must not have checked the room, but jumped to conclusions because of the smell of ash and Toya's blatant disregard for school attendance. "Get up," Teiko growled. She nudged Enji with her foot, her brother groaned. "Get up!" Her voice rose louder.

His eyes slowly opened. He raised his hand to his head and rubbed where the projectile had hit him. "You bitch," he growled lowly. "You turned my own son against me."

There really wasn't anything more idiotic that he could've said. Teiko drew her leg back and smashed her toes into his gut. "Are you fucking _kidding_ me?" Her voice was a harsh whisper. Enji doubled over and clutched his abdomen. "You pushed him over the brink, Enji! Not only did you drag him through Hell, but you just shoved him over the abyss!" She took a step back.

Enji took the sudden space as a sign that she was done. He shoved his way to his knees. Before he could even find his feet, Teiko punched him in the face. She was beyond the Todoroki Family Rules. In her own way, she'd snapped, too. Enji's neck flew to the left. "You destroyed my best friend." She covered her knuckles with stone and punched him again, this time in the chest. "You beat my nephews, and you get paid to beat people just because your society calls them villains." In that moment, she hated everything about him. He had to struggle to catch his breath.

Yet she couldn't stop seeing him as her brother. The hits she delivered had been the most severe in decades. "If you weren't my sister," he panted, "I'd fucking kill you." He glared at her with rage in his eyes.

"If you weren't my brother, they'd never find your body." She replied coldly. "May and I are with the kids. Clean up your mess, _Hero_." She said the term as a mockery. Thanks to the heat of Toya's flames, there was almost no rubble to the wreckage.

* * *

As soon as Fuyumi saw her aunt, she knew something was wrong. Normally, Teiko wore her long hair in a ponytail at the nape of her neck, not loose and windswept. Her aunt had contagious, calm eyes and an easy smile, not a haunted and pained expression. Her clothes were supposed to be neat and clean, but today they smelled like ash, had singes and scorch marks in abundance, and a plethora of stains in the most random places.

Teiko gathered them in the hotel room and had them sit on a bed. She had several days' worth of clothes packed for everyone. "Thanks, May," she told the nanny, "you can go."

Natsuo and Shoto noticed the changes. "A-aunt Teiko?" The former said the name like a question, as if he wasn't sure who he was looking at.

Teiko lifted her deadened gaze to regard the child. "One sec. I've got to work up to it."

There was a pause. Fuyumi felt terror churn in her belly. "Is it Dad?" Their father was a pro hero. She was worried for him every day of her life. Eventually, her father's luck could run out and he could never make it home for dinner. It was something she made herself live with.

Teiko released a slow breath from her nose. She had to calm herself, or else she'd snap again. "No. Just…quiet, please." Their normally collected guardian sounded stiff. Fuyumi took the warning to heart and kept her mouth shut.

It took two more minutes of agonizing silence before Teiko trusted herself to speak. "Your dad finally pushed Toya over the edge. Your brother is in intensive care, but may not survive."

For a bare moment, Fuyumi was glad it wasn't her father. She felt guilt, then devastation to hear of her eldest sibling's fate. "Oh…oh no, Toya." Tears leaked from her eyes. Natsuo and Shoto began to cry almost at once. They expected the worst. "How's Dad?"

If Teiko hadn't been in control of herself, she may have berated the girl for asking. _He's her father. She can't help but care, just like I can't help but care that he's my brother._ "He's alive. The house was damaged, so he'll be arranging for a crew to fix everything." It wouldn't take long. Many construction companies would throw in competitive bids to work on a pro-hero's house.


	14. Chapter 14

**XIV**

* * *

Shoto didn't ask to train. Fuyumi became nearly silent. Natsuo threw himself into his studies. Almost the instant he heard that yet another brother had been burnt, he decided to become a doctor. He worked relentlessly to discover how his ice quirk would work best in a medical setting.

Though they asked to see Toya, Teiko wouldn't let them. "It's not something you can un-see," she said. None needed to witness such carnage. She thought again of the teen's ruined face and the blood that had seeped from his wounds. No, they didn't need to see.

For the most part, Enji kept his distance. When the younger three were at school, Teiko sat with Toya. The hospital was torn on how to place him. On the one hand, he had severe burns. On the other, he had become a raving lunatic.

"He tried to kill another doctor, Miss," the nurse informed Teiko the moment she walked through the hospital's doors. "We can't properly restrain him or he'll lose the skin around his wrists."

"Then let him lose it," she declared. "If he wants to pull and twist and tug, that's his problem, not yours." Within forty eight hours, they had to fasten Toya to the bed by tying a thick sash of synthetic fabric from his chin to his collarbone. When even that wasn't enough, they repeated the process to his legs and wrists.

She looked at the young man strapped to the mattress and barely saw her nephew. "Hey, Maki!" He greeted with a crazed giggle. He had been ecstatic to know she'd used his fake name and joyously called his aunt by hers in turn. "Maki! Did you bring it?" The previous day, he'd made a request.

"Are you going to stop trying to kill everyone?" That had been their deal, and she made sure to affirm it.

"Yeah, of course. That's what I said. I'm not the kind of guy to go back on my word." The staff were so desperate for a fix that they may have let the hostile teenager start a petting zoo. Teiko unbound her nephew and slipped the container of hair dye from her pocket. "You got black, right? I'm sick of seeing red when I look in the mirror."

Teiko had come to find that she couldn't find Toya in the young man before her. In her head, she considered him to be Dabi. Where she would have died to protect Toya, she only tolerated Dabi. "The blackest black that's ever blacked," she chuckled, though she didn't feel it in her heart. She snapped on a pair of gloves and got to work.

When they were done, Dabi grinned into the mirror at the final product. "Perfect." Bags of exposed flesh shone beneath his turquoise eyes. Stables lined his destroyed jaw and pinched his chin shut. "I don't look anything like I used to." His ears looked like two crisped hunks of steak on the sides of his head. Teiko knew that only true madness could look his disfigured self in the face and beam at the lack of skin. "Have you told family that I'm dead, yet?"

He'd never brought them up before. Teiko tilted her head and stared at him through the mirror. "Should I?"

Dabi slid his tongue experimentally over where his lower lip should have been. Instead, he felt the small hunks of metal that held his face together. "You should. I'm not a part of the family anymore. It's not that I _can't_ go home like this, the old shit needs to see what he's done, but I _won't_.

Teiko hoped he'd given the matter as much thought as he could. "Who am I to refuse a dead man's wishes?" Even though he was insane, Teiko had seen the signs. Toya wouldn't have stuck around the Todoroki family for very long anyway.

Back before the days of quirks, Dabi wouldn't have healed so quickly. A doctor had used their abilities to save and rejuvenate what skin could be had. Teiko looked the teen over and considered his stature. "I'm ready to rejoin the world, Maki," he fixed his eyes on his hair. Now that his change was complete, he no longer felt like Toya. He doubted anyone in his own family could recognize him.

The hospital couldn't keep him anymore. The only place secure enough for him would be a prison, but he hadn't done anything wrong. "Give me a few days to get your affairs sorted, Dabi," she suggested.

"No, I'm leaving today." The only thing that had held him back was his resemblance to Endeavor. "Let's go." Teiko could only imagine the young man's agony as he walked out of the room. Luckily, there was still skin on his feet, though it cut off at the ankle. She moved beside him, her arm ready if he was to fall. The staff were so glad to be rid of Dabi that the doctor presented the discharge papers at once. Dabi signed them at the counter with a cheerful, unhinged grin.

As soon as he was no longer legally their problem, the burn ward slammed the doors shut behind him. "What do you think, Maki? Should we start ridding the world of false heroes?" Teiko heard the unbridled passion in his voice and inwardly frowned.

"Let's go downtown and practice." There were plenty of abandoned or cheap apartments where Dabi could blend with the denizens. Since he wouldn't come home, she planned on trying to find a place for him to stay. He smiled and agreed easily. They strode through the concrete jungle. "First, you need some clothes," she decided as they passed a store, since he only wore a simple hospital gown. Despite his patchwork appearance, she wanted him to look as normal as possible.

Dabi agreed easily enough. They found a store that advertised fireproof clothing and fitted Dabi in a set of navy blue clothes. The sleeves fit him well, but the pants were slightly too short. "I like it," he insisted. "It shows my flesh off nicely, doesn't it?" He posed in front of the mirror, his purpled body displayed with pride. He chose a loose white undershirt, black shoes, a brown leather pouch, and a silver belt to hold the sagging trousers on his scrawny form.

Once he had properly dressed, he and Teiko wandered deeper into the streets. "This is as good a place as any," Dabi decided suddenly. He turned and pivoted. The moment he faced her, he threw fire at Teiko. She dodged low with incredible speed and reached out to grab his ankle. Dabi hissed, his body inflamed with agony, and dropped like a rock.

Teiko had expected as much. She wanted nothing more than to give him a lecture and let him know that his dream was pointless, that his damaged body would never allow him to fight, but she couldn't find the heart to crush him. "I'm sorry, Dabi. You won't be able to do anything until you can overcome this obstacle."

The epiphany hit him gently. He sighed and gingerly stood. "Then I'll get used to it," he said softly.

"Toya…" she began. The name didn't fit the monster before her.

"No!" Dabi snapped. "I'm not Toya anymore. Todoroki Toya is dead!" He felt irrational anger swarm his senses. "Go home, Maki. If you won't help me, then I'll find people that will." He half hoped the woman would linger, that she would insist that he needed help. After all, he was just hours out of a prolonged hospitalization. He was relieved and disappointed when she relented so easily. "You're all talk, aren't you?" The teenager mocked.

Someone was behind him. He could feel the light breeze of their approach on his bare flesh. Everything that had been covered with skin was raw and infinitely more aware of its surroundings. Teiko saw Stendhal land and loom in their proximity. His masked face stared shamelessly at the red-headed woman and the mottled youth before her. Even though their conversation was no longer private, she answered as if it was. The extremist had already guessed her relationship anyway, even if he hadn't said as much. "I'm not going to kill my brother, Dabi. I wanted to, I tried. Even after he turned you into this," she gestured at his destroyed body, "I stood over him and couldn't do it."

Dabi felt disappointment flood his being. "All you are is false hope," he sneered. "You know something's wrong and you won't do a thing about it."

Teiko didn't look ashamed. She nodded to his accusaion. "You know something's wrong and you _can't_ do a thing about it. You sought justice too soon and crippled yourself for life. You'll probably never fight without incredible pain."

He winced. The truth of her words seeped into his core. At that moment, Stendhal removed his mask and set his hand upon the younger man's shoulder. "My name is Chizome Akaguro. Come with me, Dabi, we can end the hero society together."

Teiko saw the resolve in her former nephew's eyes. "Good luck, you two." If he ever needed her, he knew where to go, but she was quite certain this was the last time she'd ever see Dabi.


	15. Chapter 15

**XV**

* * *

Todoroki Enji had refused to see a doctor. He hated that after all his years on duty he still lost to his sister. She not only beat him, but she had broken the stupid rules she insisted they enforce. He lost weeks of work thanks to his split cheek and various injuries. In that time, he hired a company and beefed up in the courtyard while the crew repaired and modified his training hall. He had the carpenters make it not only fireproof, but sound and bulletproof as well. He put a security system on his entire house to alert him of all the comings and goings of his family.

He'd been back at work for just a few days when Teiko came to visit. He remembered not only their last encounter, but every horrific thing she'd done to him. The worst had most certainly been when his quirk had first manifest. Back when he was six, Teiko had lit his room on fire. "Save whatever's important to you," she'd said, then locked the door behind her. _Teiko acts all high and mighty, but it's her fault we even had to have house rules._ They had been set as a way to keep the elder sister from killing her younger brother.

As he battled the trapped inferno, he'd decided to become not just _a_ hero, but the _best_. He chose a name that made no promises. Endeavor. He would endeavor to become what society needed. It would be a constant effort on his part. In hindsight, the name displayed too much humility. His climb had been all for naught. For then, All Might had appeared. His quest for the top ended as frantic climb to the number two slot. He hated the man for his extraordinary quirks, his charisma, and for the ability to always seem to choose the right avenue. Enji couldn't match the hero. For the second time in his life, he was caught in someone's shadow. First it had been his sister, then the Symbol of Peace.

His phone buzzed and drew him from his thoughts. He put it to his face and answered. "Hello?"

"I'm bringing the kids home. We'll be there by five." She didn't wait for a response before she hung up.

He thought to get them all a gift of some sort. Enji knew that he had screwed up, but had little idea how he could bridge the gap – no – _canyon_ that existed between him and the rest of his family. He placed an order for food to be delivered. Teiko had insisted upon a nightly meal. Maybe her call had been a hint for him to make something.

The food arrived with just a minute to spare. At precisely five, right after Enji had set the table, he heard their approach. Fuyumi walked in first. "Dad!" She said the word as a singular cheer. He felt warmth as he looked at his only daughter. The teenager rushed forward and embraced as much of the ox-like man that she could. "I missed you, Daddy." He hugged her in return. Though he didn't like to show such affection, he found himself respond.

"Missed you too, kid." His words were short.

Shoto and Natsuo looked at the table. "Thanks, Dad," the latter muttered.

They sat together and ate. As per usual, Fuyumi made a valiant attempt to make the dinner a happy event. "We all have the top five marks in our classes. It's not time for testing yet, but if we keep this up we're all going to get into whatever schools we want. Shoto, you could even go to UA."

 _So the boy really wants to be a hero? Good._ For his part, Enji didn't want to appear too desperate, nor did he know how to play it cool without coming off as nonchalant. "Have you decided what you'd like to be, Fuyumi?"

The girl nodded happily. "I want to be a teacher. I love tutoring my peers and watching them learn."

 _She sounds so grown up._ He knew he had to be a part of the reason why, and it stung. "You're very patient, Fuyumi. You'll be an excellent teacher."

He turned his head to Natsuo, who answered with minimal prompting. "I'm going to be a doctor."

 _Where'd that come from?_ He considered the night where Shoto had been burned by the kettle. The signs had been there all along, but Enji hadn't seen. After all, he'd been too focused on his golden boy. "You have quick instincts that will probably save dozens of lives," he said, this time with pride. Nobody had told him he was doing wrong. He started to feel just a sense of the security that the children had felt in their home…. Until he'd blown it up.

They had a decent time together, up until Enji defaulted to Shoto's training. "What have you and Teiko been working on?" He asked. As far as he knew, it was a safe topic.

The mood sobered at once. Shoto glanced at his aunt for an explanation. It was too smooth a transition for her to ignore the topic anymore. "I've been with Toya while the kids were at school. Whenever we got home, I didn't think it was appropriate to train." She glanced around at their faces. This was it. She had to spread the lie. "Toya passed on." The way she spoke offered some glimmer of truth, while still upholding the teen's wish.

Silence greeted the statement. None of the siblings knew the truth, that their father had been the one to push Toya past his breaking point. "But…how?" Natsuo asked. As an up and coming medic, he felt like he wanted to know the truth.

"His body wasn't suited for his fire. The quirk probably hurt him every time he didn't use it with care," she explained.

"I know that. We all saw his burns over the years," Natsuo said, some defiance in his voice. He was still in a state of denial. "What made him flame out?"

Enji felt guilt choke the words out of him. "I did it." He knew that his honesty would obliterate any progress he'd made with them in the short term, but in the long run it was better if they knew the truth straightaway. While he appreciated Teiko's attempt to omit him from the story, he would rather they could count on her. "He told me that he wasn't going to school anymore and I lost my temper. I told him that if he wanted to act like an adult he had to be able to beat me in a fight. He took the challenge to heart and fired on all cylinders."

Shoto reacted first. He sniffled quietly during his father's explanation, but was in full blown tears by the time Enji finished. "I hate you!" He screamed. "You're the worst dad _ever_!"

Fuyumi prepared a feeble defense. "It wasn't Dad's fault. He just—"

Natsuo wouldn't have it. He jumped to his feet and slammed his fists on the table. "Toya suffered at his," he jabbed his finger at Enji, "hands for _years_. Anyone that went through that would overreact. The only reason we're okay, Fuyumi, is because we were born with the _wrong_ quirks." The boy rounded on his father. "Fuck you, Dad. _Fuck. You_."

Shoto rushed from the table and up into his room. Fuyumi ran after him, but the door was slammed shut and sealed with a layer of ice. "Shoto," she said softly. Tears slid down her cheeks. "Shoto, please let me in."

Grief gripped the family in their own way. Natsuo threw his dish at his father's head. As expected, Enji dodged and there was no satisfaction, save for the loud smash that echoed along the wall and crackled onto the floor. Teiko walked to the boy and pulled him into a gentle embrace. Natsuo had no resistance left. He sobbed into his aunt's stomach and clung to her hips.

Enji watched his family fall apart and knew it was his fault. He saw their sorrow and anger and was not only humbled, but horrified to know that he was the root of all of their grief. He wanted to leave, but he made himself watch. Enji took in how his two remaining sons didn't come to him. They had thrown curses and pottery, but that was all. They didn't see him as a source of comfort, stability, or even trust. Even his beloved Fuyumi didn't spare him a glance. He looked at Teiko, his eyes thick with unshed tears.

Her voice was soft enough that Natsuo wouldn't hear her. "This is all your fault, Enji. How many more sons will you kill before you change?"

Each word struck him to the core. He saw what his children had seen all along. His beatings had not made them stronger or magically taught them to be strong, but had destroyed their trust. He knew in that moment that _he_ was the devil in their hells, as his father had been to him. In that moment, Enji wept with his family.


	16. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

* * *

Shoto took Toya's death the worst. He took to covering his left side with ice, as if the moderate disguise would somehow lock away the ability inside of him. He became aloof and cold to everyone except for his aunt, who continued to train him. Though Shoto didn't know it, Teiko saw the living incarnation of little Enji in the boy's demeanor. Teiko spent years with him not on his quirk, but in building his natural abilities. By the time he entered UA, he probably could have become a sidekick.

Natsuo was accepted to a prestigious high school and shamelessly spent his father's money on the ridiculously high tuition. He studied and entered college to become a doctor. As for Fuyumi, she was the one who told Rei. She never told her family how the mother took her eldest son's death. The girl went on to become a teacher. Thanks to her personal relationship with every student and caring nature, her classes always scored among the highest of their year. Fuyumi and Natsuo moved out almost as soon as they were able, which left Shoto as the sole child in the home.

Once, Teiko tried to visit Dabi, but he and Akagura refused to let her in. Though she saw Akagura at the Quirk Gym on a few occasions, she never saw the young man that had once been her nephew. Akagura said that Dabi wanted to wait to make his debut until he could take a hit. She kept attending, up until Quirk Gyms were made illegal. At first, Teiko hated losing her outlet, but only found more inspiration to spare with Enji. The two fought in the refurbished training hall, where no one else would go. Teiko visited Rei once a week. At least once a month, Enji sent a gift with her. Most of them were surprisingly on point, as if he'd been listening all along.

* * *

When the Sports Festival aired, Teiko watched from the stands. Shoto's first match went as predicted. In the second, when he faced a boy named Midoriya, she was in awe at the opponent. Not only did he have enough strength to stop the ice with detrimental flicks of his fingers, but he got some hits in. The game changed abruptly as Shoto used his fire. Teiko watched with satisfaction when the boy slipped into the stance she showed Toya nearly a decade before. Whether or not he had meant to, he'd saved the information for just the right time.

Like the rest of the crowd, she watched her nephew fight against Bakugou in the last round. "Holy fuck," a guy said beside her. "It's like we're watching the pros." He said to himself, though easily loudly enough that everyone around them heard. Teiko knew that if the two fought in hand to hand combat, the blonde would win. _Use your fire…yes!_ She watched Shoto lift his hand. She wanted him to use his abilities as much as her brother, though she hadn't pushed him once in all their years of training.

Teiko saw the indecision slip over the boy's face. In that moment, she knew her nephew lost the battle. Once the games were over, Shoto went to visit his mother. After seeing Rei, he asked Teiko to begin to train his flames. "Well…" she pretended to hesitate, though did so with a smile, "if you insist. So who's lit the fire under you? Bakugou or Midoriya?" He didn't answer, but proceeded to toss flames in her direction. Teiko chuckled and they worked harder. She liked seeing the change from a cold introvert to a fifteen year old that seemed to finally find some passion other than hating his father. _He'll never forget Toya, but he seems like he'll move on._

Shoto's internship with Enji's agency was proof enough that Shoto was headed in the right direction. The very same hour Shoto's paperwork was sent to Endeavor's office, Enji called his sister to gloat. "Whatever that Midoriya kid did, it worked! _My son_ is going to come to work at _my_ agency!" He sounded like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Is there another hero called Endeavor? It could be a—"

"You shut your mouth," he huffed at once. He didn't need her sass, but he had no one else who would understand the bridge young Shoto had crossed. " _Finally_. I've waited years for this, Teiko. Just let me have my moment."

"Don't cry too much, you big baby."

* * *

The following night, Enji and Teiko sat together and watched the evening news. She heard of the Hero Killer. _He sounds like he could be a friend of Stendhal's_. Beside her, Enji glowered. "Why don't they call him what he is? A villain!" He considered his public image. "If I could be the one to stop him, after what he's done to Ingenium…" Enji knew his sister hated when he spoke of his job, so he trailed off thoughtfully.

When Stain's arrest showed on the TV not long afterwards, Teiko knew for an undeniable fact that the man was Stendhal, the current mentor for her 'dead' nephew. When Enji and Shoto arrived home the following evening, Enji took none of the credit. In the home, he bragged relentlessly of how his son was the cement that had held the student team together. Shoto told his version of events, which Teiko appreciated. Once more, he asked to train.

* * *

Though Teiko told herself that Dabi had made his decision years ago, she couldn't help but worry. Had he died of his injuries? Why had Stain acted alone? She didn't have to wait long. The media showed a forest fire was filmed at a UA training camp. _Oh, Dabi… your own brother?_ _Did you know?_ Enji was ready to rush out at once, but the reporter said the tally of injured before he even got the chance. Teiko looked at her brother and chuckled. "Settle down, old man. You're going to pop a knee out of place." On the exterior she was calm, but her mind was stuffed to the brim.

"Ha. Ha," he retorted tonelessly. It had been nine years since they'd last physically fought. Enji hadn't raised a fist to anyone in the home ever since Toya's supposed flame-out. "That fire sure looks like Toya's did," he muttered thoughtfully, though with obvious regret. In those rare moments where she heard genuine sorrow in his voice, Teiko knew he was a changed man.

"It's a shame that he's gone." She agreed. Teiko had yet to call Todoroki Toya dead.

* * *

 **The End**

* * *

 _The story continues in **Crimson Tides**._


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